UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

SAN  DIEGO 
Donated  in  memory  of 

John  W.    Snvder 

by 

His  Son  and  Daughter 


C.    M.    GOODSELL 


The  History 

of 

Carleton    College 


Its  Origin  and  Growth 
Environment  and  Builders 


By 
Rev.  Delavan  L.  Leonard,  D.  D. 

Author  of  "The  Story  of  Oberlin,"  "A  Hundred  Yfart 
of  Missions,"  etc. 


Introduction  by 
President  James  W.  Strong,  D.  D.,  LL.  D. 


CHICAGO     :     NEW  YORK     :     TORONTO 

Fleming    H.     Revell    Company 

LONDON     :    EDINBURGH 


Copyright  1904 
Fleming  H.  Revell  Company 


Chicago:  63  Washington  Street 
New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Toronto:  27  Richmond  Street,  W 
London:  21  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh:  30  St.  Mary  Street 


CONTENTS. 

Page 

PREFACE   5 

INTRODUCTION   1 1 

CHAPTER  I — Minnesota,   Physical  Features,  Ex- 
ploration,  Early   Settlement 17 

CHAPTER   II — The   Fifties,   The   Period   of   Be- 
ginnings      35 

CHAPTER    III — The    Sixties,    I.      The    College 

Founded   74 

CHAPTER    IV — The    Sixties,    2.      The    College 

Opened   no 

CHAPTER  V — The   Seventies,   I.     Election  of  a 

President 141 

CHAPTER  VI — The  Seventies,  2.     The  Marvel 

of  Carleton's  Enlargement 174 

CHAPTER  VII — The    Eighties.      Carleton's   Ado- 
lescence     212 

CHAPTER   VIII — The    Nineties.      Becoming    of 

Age   243 

CHAPTER  IX — The  New  Century.    Summary  and 

Review    265 

CHAPTER  X — President  Sallmon  Inaugurated . . .  298 

CHAPTER  XI — Carleton's  Builders   317 

CHAPTER  XII — Carleton  and  Missions 357 

CHAPTER  XIII — Carleton  in  Oratory  and  Song.  368 

CHAPTER  XIV — A  Forecast 378 

Historical  Address.    After  Twenty-five  Years . . .  386 

Index  415 


PREFACE. 

The  genesis  of  this  volume  was  on  this  wise: 
It  had  occurred  that  in  1859-62  President  Strong 
and  myself  were  classmates  in  Union  Theological 
Seminary,  New  York  City,  and  that  through  him 
in  1875  I  had  been  introduced  to  the  Northfield 
Congregational  church,  of  which  I  soon  after  be- 
came pastor,  remaining  seven  years,  being  also  a 
trustee  of  the  college,  a  member  of  the  executive 
committee,  and  serving  for  three  years  as  teacher 
of  rhetoric  and  English  literature.  During  this 
period  I  was  brought  into  closest  connection  with 
the  institution,  became  well  acquainted  with  the 
faculty,  the  community  and  the  commonwealth; 
making  also  the  acquaintance  of  not  a  few  of  the 
founders  and  early  builders.  Moreover,  in  one  way 
and  another  it  fell  to  my  lot  to  read  and  write  not 
a  little  concerning  Carleton,  its  history,  character, 
work,  etc.  Taking  my  departure  in  1881,  I  carried 
with  me  a  high  esteem  and  a  warm  affection,  which 
ever  since  have  continued  and  steadily  increased. 
By  several  visits  my  acquaintance  has  been  main- 
tained. More  than  two  decades  have  now  passed, 
during  which  I  have  gazed  upon  the  college  from  a 
distance,  possessed  thus  of  opportunities  for  intelli- 
gent observation  and  calm  reflection,  playing  the 
part  of  a  disinterested  looker-on,  viewing  things 


Ti  PREFACE 

from  the  outside,  in  their  relations  and  their  relative 
proportions  to  other  things. 

But  what  is  much  more  to  the  point,  it  is  fortu- 
nate that  President  Strong,  while  unsparing  and  un- 
wearied in  making  history,  was  also  endowed  with 
the  historic'spirit  in  such  a  way  and  to  such  an  ex- 
tent that,  from  the  first,  he  has  carefully  collected 
and  preserved  a  mass  of  invaluable  material  in  the 
form  of  letters,  reports,  circulars,  clippings  from  the 
public  press,  including  a  complete  set  of  Catalogues 
and  Minutes  of  the  Congregational  State  Associa- 
tion; and  at  an  early  date,  when  memory  was  ac- 
curate, solicited  from  some  of  the  most  intelligent 
and  trustworthy  of  the  early  actors,  detailed  state- 
ments concerning  the  most  important  events.  Of 
all  this  material  large  and  grateful  use  has  been 
made  in  these  pages,  thereby  adding  much  to  their 
value.  In  addition  to  such  rich  resources,  to  the 
author  the  freest  and  fullest  access  has  been  granted 
to  the  records  of  the  board  of  trustees  and  of  the 
executive  committee,  and  to  whatever  other  official 
papers  are  kept  among  the  archives.  All  this  wealth 
of  information  has  been  supplemented  by  conversa- 
tion and  correspondence  with  members  of  the  fac- 
ulty, old  residents  of  Northfield,  and  ministers  who 
shared  in  the  task  of  laying  foundations.  Finally, 
files  of  newspapers  have  been  consulted,  thanks  es- 
pecially to  the  officers  of  the  State  Historical  Library 
at  St.  Paul. 

It  is  not  common  to  put  in  print  the  story  of  an 


PREFACE  vii 

institution  of  learning  so  young  as  this,  and  hence 
the  undertaking  may  appear  over-ambitious,  un- 
called-for and  out  of  place.  Moreover,  in  such  a 
case  there  can  be  found  none  of  the  element  of  the 
hallowed  or  romantic  which  belongs  to  great  length 
of  days  and  hoary  age.  But  on  the  contrary,  the 
fact  is  to  be  recalled  that  in  this  age  more  changes 
with  far  greater  progress  are  often  witnessed  within 
the  space  of  a  few  years  than  used  to  occur  during 
the  lapse  of  a  generation  or  a  _century.  Advance  is 
now  frequently  made  with  the  speed  of  steam  or 
electricity,  so  that  institutions  like  nations  are  born 
in  a  day.  But  more,  in  the  case  of  Carleton,  it  will 
scarcely  fail  to  appear  that  enough  has  actually 
transpired  within  the  limits  of  the  half-century  cov- 
ered, to  supply  abundance  of  worthy  matter  for  a 
volume.  Elements  not  a  few  are  found  which  are 
novel  and  striking,  and  hence  are  well  worth  setting 
forth.  There  is  besides  a  great  and  obvious  ad- 
vantage in  gathering  the  material  and  putting  it  in 
shape  for  preservation  while  so  many  witnesses  are 
living  who  will  not  long  survive,  and  when  they  are 
gone  much  will  be  lost  beyond  recovery.  And 
further  yet,  this  particular  time  is  eminently  fitting 
for  the  appearance  of  a  history  of  the  college.  The 
first  president  has  held  his  office  for  a  period  phe- 
nomenally long,  a  full  generation,  his  connection 
with  the  institution  extending  back  to  the  very  be- 
ginning. As  he  retires,  the  first  epoch  closes  and  a 
new  regime  begins. 


viii  PREFACE 

Nevertheless,  there  is  an  embarrassment  connected 
with  the  performance  of  this  task,  which  all  along 
has  been  deeply  felt,  and  found  in  the  fact  that  so 
many  of  the  most  prominent  of  the  early  actors  in 
the  scenes  presented  still  survive.  How  difficult  and 
how  next  to  impossible  to  speak  adequately,  and  yet 
becomingly,  of  them  and  the  part  they  played.  For 
the  most  part  no  attempt  will  be  made  in  this  direc- 
tion. To  avoid  the  perplexity  somewhat,  especial 
emphasis  will  be  laid  upon  the  earlier  decades,  the 
first  things,  the  beginnings,  with  the  purpose  of 
speaking  so  fully  of  these  that  no  need  will  arise  for 
doing  this  work  over  again,  leaving  it  to  some  future 
historian  to  continue  the  story. 

No  doubt  defects  will  be  discovered  upon  these 
pages  by  whoever  may  examine  them  with  the 
critic's  eye.  Omissions  which  seem  serious  to  some 
will  be  noted,  as  well  as  matters  introduced  which 
in  the  judgment  of  some  might  better  have  been 
omitted.  Very  likely  also  certain  of  the  conclusions 
reached  and  the  convictions  expressed  will  be 
deemed  mistaken,  with  over-praise  bestowed  here, 
and  lack  of  appreciation  manifested  there.  But 
whatever  defects,  whether  real  or  only  apparent,  are 
perceived,  let  them  be  charged,  one  and  all,  where 
they  wholly  belong,  to  the  author.  For  in  every 
sentence  of  every  paragraph  of  every  chapter,  noth- 
ing stands  which  does  not  represent  his  apprehension 
of  the  well  established  facts  in  the  case. 

The  performance  of  the  task  now  brought  to  a 


PREFACE  ix 

close  has  been  a  pleasure  and  a  privilege,  in  deed 
and  in  truth  a  labor  of  love.  The  work  was  begun 
with  the  belief  that  the  theme  was  a  worthy  and 
noble  one,  that  it  contained  divers  passages  which 
were  both  unique  and  thrilling;  and  this  conviction 
has  steadily  increased  until  at  length  this  closing 
word  is  written. 

D.  L.  LEONARD. 
Oberlin,  Ohio. 


INTRODUCTION. 

Two  facts  in  the  history  of  Carleton  College  seem 
to  me  especially  worthy  of  mention:  its  religious 
origin  and  aim,  and  the  divine  guidance  made  ap- 
parent in  all  its  development.  No  true  history  could 
be  written  without  such  a  recognition  of  these  facts 
as  Dr.  Leonard  has  given. 

Carleton's  founders  were  men  of  faith,  of  self- 
denying  consecration ;  men  of  noble  ideals  who,  like 
their  Pilgrim  ancestors,  believed  that  they  were 
divinely  called  to  lay  foundations  broad  and  deep, 
upon  which  others  coming  after  them  might  build 
better  than  could  they,  for  the  honor  of  the  one 
common  Lord  and  Master.  Being  educated  men, 
they  knew  the  value  of  intellectual  discipline  as  well 
as  moral  culture  or  spiritual  quickening;  and  they 
esteemed  a  right  combination  of  the  two  absolutely 
essential  to  the  formation  of  right  character,  and 
hence  essential  to  the  well-being  of  society.  They 
believed  that  an  education  having  the  tone  and  tonic 
of  an  earnest  religious  life, — such  an  education  as 
the  church  must  ever  demand, — could  not  be  fur- 
nished by  the  state.  Therefore,  even  though  it 
should  cost  the  labors  and  sacrifices  of  many  years, 
a  Christian  college  must  be  founded  and  built  up. 

Naturally  the  leaders  in  all ,  educational  move- 
ments were  clergymen.  With  these  pioneer  minis- 
ters, whom  we  lovingly  call  Father  Shedd,  Father 


12  INTRODUCTION 

Seccombe,  Father  Barnes,  Father  Brown  and 
Father  Hall,  and  whose  names  ought  to  be  grate- 
fully preserved  in  our  records,  it  was  my  good  for- 
tune, on  coming  to  the  state  in  1865,  to  be  asso- 
ciated. I  could  not  but  admire  their  spirit  and  ap- 
prove their  aims.  Being  elected,  in  1866,  one  of 
the  first  trustees  of  the  proposed  college,  it  was  a 
privilege  to  give  time  and  thought  to  the  educa- 
tional plans  which  led  to  the  establishment  of  the 
institution  at  Northfield;  though  it  is  needless  to 
say  I  had  not,  at  that  time,  entertained  the  slightest 
thought  of  any  additional  personal  responsibility  for 
the  realization  of  those  plans.  My  heart  was  in  the 
pastorate,  and  to  remain  a  pastor  was  my  earnest 
hope  and  expectation.  When,  years  later,  the  re- 
sponsibility of  administration  was  accepted,  it  was 
only  because  of  the  conviction,  which  never  for  one 
moment,  during  all  the  years  following,  was  shaken, 
that  this  was  the  divine  will  concerning  me.  The 
impression  was  irresistible  that  God's  hand  was  in 
the  enterprise  and  hence  it  must  succeed. 

From  the  first  I  felt  that  some  permanent  record 
should  be  made  of  the  genesis  and  growth  of  an  in- 
stitution so  needed,  so  desired  and  of  which  so 
much  was  expected.  As  years  passed  on  the  trus- 
tees expressed  again  and  again  the  hope  that  I 
would  prepare  a  history  of  the  college ;  but  so  great 
was  the  pressure  of  executive  duties,  especially  in 
securing  the  funds  needed  to  carry  on  the  work, 
that  this  was  absolutely  impossible.  The  most  that 


INTRODUCTION  18 

could  be  done  was  to  make  brief  memoranda  and 
carefully  preserve  documents  for  some  other  his- 
torian. In  1879  Rev.  Dr.  M.  M.  G.  Dana,  then  a 
trustee,  prepared  "The  Story  of  Carleton  College," 
which  passed  through  two  large  editions  and  was 
made,  in  various  ways,  exceedingly  helpful;  but  as 
valuable  as  it  was,  so  rapidly  was  history  being 
made,  that  soon  it  became  out  of  date.  For  a  long 
time  Carleton's  constituency  has  been  desiring  a 
much  more  extended  history  of  the  institution,  and 
one  which  should  include  something  of  the  history 
of  Congregationalism  in  the  state.  Fortunately  I 
knew  of  a  writer  especially  fitted  by  his  tastes,  his 
training  and  his  personal  experiences,  for  this  un- 
dertaking,— Rev.  Dr.  D.  L.  Leonard  of  Oberlin. 
He  was  my  esteemed  friend  and  classmate  in  the 
Union  Theological  Seminary,  was  for  seven  years 
pastor  of  the  Northfield  Congregational  church, 
was  a  teacher  in  the  college  and  a  member  of  the 
board  of  trustees,  and  therefore,  perfectly  con- 
versant with  all  the  affairs  of  the  institution.  For 
years  he  had  been  one  of  the  editors  of  "The  Mis- 
sionary Review  of  the  World,"  had  written  "The 
Story  of  Oberlin,"  had  prepared  many  historical 
papers  and  addresses  both  in  Minnesota  and  Ohio, 
and  in  all  matters  of  religious  and  educational  re- 
search, had  shown  a  profound  interest.  When  the 
subject  was  suggested  he  promptly  responded  that 
he  was  both  ready  and  willing  to  undertake  the  pro- 
posed task,  and  it  should  be  done  at  once. 


14  INTRODUCTION 

For  two  years  and  more,  as  other  duties  have  per- 
mitted, Dr.  Leonard  has  devoted  himself  to  the 
work,  with  steadily  growing  interest.  It  has  been 
my  privilege  to  put  into  his  hands  all  the  historic 
material  of  various  kinds  which  has  been  preserved, 
and  to  aid  him  in  every  way  possible.  His  increas- 
ing enthusiasm,  as  more  and  more  of  the  details  of 
Carleton's  history  have  come  to  his  knowledge,  has 
given  me  pleasing  proof  that  the  right  historian 
was  selected.  He  has  not  been  content  with  simply 
setting  forth  the  facts  of  our  college  history,  but 
he  has  sought  to  find  a  philosophical  basis  for  those 
facts,  by  connecting  them  closely  all  along  with  the 
history  of  Congregationalism  in  the  state.  This 
will  make  his  book  of  permanent  value  and  of  inter- 
est to  a  much  larger  constituency  than  the  students 
and  alumni  of  Carleton  alone  could  afford. 

While  approving  most  heartily  the  author's  gen- 
eral plan,  and  admiring  his  skill  in  presenting  ef- 
fectively the  details  of  the  history,  1  have  from  the 
first  been  solicitous  lest  his  personal  friendship 
should  lead  him  to  attribute  too  much  credit  to  the 
one  first  called  to  the  work  of  collegiate  administra- 
tion. Against  this  I  have  strenuously  protested,  but 
in  vain, — the  author  insisting  upon  his  right  to  ex- 
press his  own  matured  judgment  and  conviction 
upon  this  as  upon  all  other  matters  presented  in  this 
volume.  Certainly  the  undersigned  has  claimed  no 
special  wisdom  or  ability,  but  only  this,  that  so  far 
as  grace  has  been  given  him  to  discern  his  duty,  he 


INTRODUCTION  15 

has  tried  to  do  it.  He  has  felt  that  as  a  Christian 
man  he  had  no  right  to  decline  any  service  believed 
to  be  divinely  appointed,  simply  because  it  was  hard 
or  unremunerative,  or  at  variance  with  all  his  nat- 
ural inclinations.  Often  he  has  been  reminded  that 
God  chooses  the  weak  things  of  the  world  to  con- 
found the  mighty, — that  a  willingness  to  be  used  is 
the  first  requisite  for  effectiveness. 

Very  early  it  was  made  manifest  that  the  gracious 
Father  had  designs  of  good  concerning  our  college, 
and  through  all  the  years  his  blessing  has  continually 
rested  upon  it.  To  have  been  permitted  to  sustain 
any  helpful  relation  to  an  enterprise  so  broad  in  its 
aim  and  so  rich  in  its  fruitage,  is  a  cause  for  pro- 
found gratitude.  With  sincere  thankfulness  I  record 
this  fact  that  my  own  preferences  and  natural  in- 
clinations were  in  God's  providence  clearly  over- 
ruled, and  a  work  never  desired,  but  to  which  the 
call  seemed  imperative,  was  so  plainly,  so  unmistak- 
ably forced  upon  me.  If  the  results  teach  any  lesson, 
it  is  one  that  needs  frequent  reiteration,  and  is 
especially  to  be  recommended  to  young  men  and 
young  women; — that  to  bring  one's  life  into  har- 
mony with  the  divine  will  is  both  the  highest  duty 
and  the  richest  privilege.  No  other  life  can  possibly 
bring,  in  the  retrospect,  such  satisfaction. 

JAMES  W.  STRONG. 
Carleton  College,  Northfield,  Minnesota. 

May,  1903. 


History  of  Carleton  College. 


CHAPTER  I. 

MINNESOTA. 

Physical  Features,  Exploration,  Early  Settlement. 

It  is  eminently  proper,  is  indeed  quite  necessary, 
in  undertaking  to  tell  the  story  of  Carleton  College, 
its  origin  and  development,  to  make  some  brief 
preliminary  statements  concerning  the  common- 
wealth within  whose  boundaries  it.  stands,  since 
Minnesota  constitutes  its  environment,  as  well  as 
supplies  also  a  large  proportion  of  its  students  and 
financial  resources. 

Location. — This  state  is  possessed  of  propor- 
tions truly  imperial,  having  an  area  of  nearly  85,000 
square  miles,  or  upwards  of  54,000,000  acres;  is 
therefore  the  largest  in  the  entire  Mississippi  val- 
ley, Texas  alone  excepted;  is  nearly  twice  the  size 
of  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  or  Ohio ;  is  greater  by 
one-fourth  than  the  five  New  England  states  taken 
together.  Moreover,  its  location  is  peculiar,  even 
to  the  phenomenal,  and  is  fortunate  in  well  nigh 
every  particular.  To  begin  with,  the  exact  geo- 
graphical center  of  the  continent  is  quite  near,  if  not 
actually  within,  its  limits.  And  further,  as  Robert 


18  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

P.  Porter  reminds  us  ("  The  West,  From  the  Cen- 
sus of  1880") :  "  Minnesota  embraces  the  sources  of 
three  of  the  grandest  river  systems  on  the  globe.  Ly- 
ing midway  between  the  Arctic  circle  and  the  Tropic 
of  Cancer,  and  midway  between  the  Atlantic  and  the 
Pacific,  it  occupies  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
central  plateau  of  that  immense  interior  basin  be- 
tween the  Appalachians  on  the  east  and  the 
Rocky  mountains  on  the  west,  and  stretches  all  the 
way  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  the  Arctic  ocean. 
Here  the  Mississippi  takes  its  rise  within  sight  of 
springs  that  flow  into  the  Great  Lakes  and  issue  at 
the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence;  while  further  west  in 
the  same  state,  at  the  low  divide  between  Lakes  Big 
Stone  and  Traverse,  the  falling  rain  on  this  side 
descends  into  the  sunny  gulf,  and  on  that  into  the 
upper  urns  of  Hudson  bay." 

The  same  striking  fact,  together  with  its  tre- 
mendous importance  as  touching  the  future  of  the 
state,  was  noticed  as  far  back  as  1867  by  a  writer 
in  the  "New  York  Evening  Post"  (quoted  in  the 
"Home  Missionary"  of  that  year,  p.  173  et  sup.}, 
which  displays  a  prescience  well  nigh  startling. 
He  says:  "There  is  a  remarkable  peculiarity  in 
the  local  position  of  Minnesota  with  reference  to 
the  future  commerce  of  the  world.  The  steam 
navigation  of  the  two  great  internal  channels  of 
the  continent,  the  Mississippi,  and  the  St.  Law- 
rence with  the  Great  Lakes,  terminates  in  Minne- 
sota and  there  meets  the  Northern  Pacific  railroad 


MINNESOTA  19 

from  Puget  Sound,  the  shortest  thoroughfare  be- 
tween Europe  and  Asia.  When  that  road  is  com- 
pleted the  whole  trade  of  the  water  lines  will  break 
bulk  in  this  neighborhood  and  make  the  state  the 
entrepot  and  the  point  of  distribution  for  a  com- 
merce whose  extent  cannot  now  be  calculated.  To 
be,  as  a  missionary,  Rev.  Mr.  Wheelock,  has  ex- 
pressed it,  'the  toll-gate  of  this  vast  trade,  the  focus 
of  distribution  through  all  her  radiating  lines  of 
railroad  and  navigation,  to  the  east  and  west,  to 
the  north  and  south,  for  the  incalculable  commerce 
which  a  Pacific  railway  will  pour  into  her  lap;  to 
enthrone  her  at  the  great  Parting  of  the  Waters  as 
the  central  market  of  exchange  for  the  confluent 
treasures  of  Europe  and  Asia  and  America,' — such 
is  the  sublime  destiny  which  develops  itself  for  the 
future  of  this  young  state,  as  the  crowning  conse- 
quence and  logical  consummation  of  existing  facts 
and  tendencies  in  the  physical  and  commercial  world. 
Such  a  trade  centering  in  a  state  so  productive  by 
nature,  and  so  admirably  constituted  by  its  popu- 
lation to  improve  its  advantages  and  to  appropriate 
its  results,  cannot  but  make  it  the  abode  of  the 
highest  civilization  that  can  be  produced  by  the  com- 
bined influence  of  health,  wealth,  intelligence,  en- 
terprise, and  the  Christian  religion.  It  is  of  no  small 
importance  in  estimating  the  advantages  of  Minne- 
sota to  look  at  it  as  the  stepping  stone  to  the  great 
'Fertile  Belt,'  now  British  territory,  the  valley  of 
the  Saskatchewan.  We  naturally  look  at  Minnesota 


20  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

as  an  outside  state,  but  in  the  future  it  is  to  be  the 
center  of  a  vast  population  spreading  out  to  the 
northwest  for  hundreds  of  miles,  whose  chief  avenue 
of  communication  with  the  rest  of  the  world  leads 
through  this  state.  Professor  Hind  tells  us  that  the 
mean  breadth  of  the  basin  of  the  Winnipeg  is  about 
380  miles,  and  its  mean  length  about  920,  giving 
thus  an  area  approximating  to  360,000  square  miles. 
The  belt  of  the  Saskatchewan  is  a  remarkable 
stretch  of  rich  soil  and  pasturage  of  about  40,000,- 
ooo  acres,  capable,  says  Lord  Selkirk,  of  affording 
means  of  sustenance  to  more  than  30,000,000  British 
subjects.  The  ingress  and  egress  of  this  region  are 
through  Minnesota,  its  trade  will  center  in  Minne- 
sota, and  Minnesota  is  now  filling  up  with  a  popu- 
lation peculiarly  fitted  to  make  it  a  mother  of  na- 
tions for  the  great  New  World." 

More  than  thirty  years  ago  J.  T.  Trowbridge 
wrote  in  the  "Atlantic  Monthly"  (Vol.  25,  p.  605, 
et  sup.)  :  "The  head  of  Lake  Superior  is  equidis- 
tant from  Boston,  New  Orleans,  and  the  sources 
of  the  Saskatchewan  towards  which  the  course  of 
empire  is  fast  taking  its  way.  Not  far  from  this 
geographical  center  we  may  look,  with  Mr.  Seward, 
for  the  'ultimate  political  center  of  America,'  and  it 
will  not  be  many  years  before  the  frontier  state  of 
Minnesota  will  wake  up  and  find  herself  in  the  heart 
of  the  Union."  And  the  year  preceding,  Burdett 
Hart  had  written  in  the  "New  Englander" :  "Nature 
with  infallible  finger  points  to  this  [Northern  Pa- 


MINNESOTA  21 

cific]  railroad  as  the  one  highway  across  the  conti- 
nent. Note  the  belt  of  lakes  projected  half  way 
across,  the  natural  and  inevitable  path  of  commerce 
and  trade,  inviting  fleets  from  every  part  of  Europe, 
and  from  the  hither  Atlantic,  to  carry  the  products 
of  all  industry  into  the  heart  of  a  vast  and  populous 
region.  The  Northern  Pacific  starts  at  the  very 
western  outpush  of  all  the  lakes,  at  the  point  where 
Superior,  like  a  wedge,  drives  farthest  into  the  con- 
tinental mass.  Passing  inward  we  come  to  a  pe- 
culiar water  system :  the  Mississippi,  the  Red  River 
of  the  North,  the  Columbia,  and  the  Missouri.  The 
Mississippi  to  the  south,  the  Red,  starting  at  the 
same  point,  directly  north  575  miles  to  Lake  Winni- 
peg, which  is  250  miles  long,  and  at  its  foot  at  right 
angles  the  Assiniboine,  200  miles,  and  at  its  head 
the  Sasketchewan  navigable  its  whole  length.  By 
this  route  it  is  nearly  1,000  miles  less  between  New 
York  and  Shanghai." 

To-day,  after  fifty  years  of  development,  almost 
every  word  of  all  these  glowing  prophecies  and  an- 
ticipations has  actually  come  to  pass,  while  much 
also  can  be  repeated  with  substantial  enlargement. 
These  writers  never  dreamed  of  what  Minnesota's 
ore  product  was  destined  to  become,  the  abundance 
and  variety  of  her  cereals,  or  the  extent  of  her  rail- 
way development.  And,  certainly,  an  institution  of 
learning  planted  in  such  a  highly  favored  region, 
constituting  a  worthy  factor  in  the  fashioning  of 


22 

the  best  things,  cannot  but  have  an  important  mis- 
sion. 

Physical  Features. — Unlike  most  of  its  neigh- 
bor states,  Minnesota  is  not  chiefly  an  immense  tree- 
less expanse,  but  instead,  to  its  32,000  square  miles 
of  prairie  are  joined  52,000  square  miles  of  timber. 
The  vast  pine  forests  which  cover  most  of  the  north- 
ern half  have  been  one  of  the  chief  sources  of  wealth. 
The  Big  Woods  take  rank  among  the  most  unique 
features,  extending  north  and  south  through  the 
south-central  portion,  originally  some  three  hundred 
miles  in  length  by  twenty  to  thirty  miles  in  width, 
or  covering  about  5,000  square  miles.  Besides,  a 
charming  park  region  stretches  along  the  line  of  the 
Northern  Pacific,  while  even  the  prairies  are  in  many 
quarters  dotted  with  multitudinous  groves.  For 
the  most  part  the  surface  is  diversified,  alternating 
between  rolling  and  hilly,  and  the  soil  is  mainly  of 
the  very  best.  The  whole  world  now  knows  that  as 
a  wheat-producer,  whether  for  the  number  of  bushels 
or  the  quality  of  the  flour,  this  state  stands  at  the 
very  front,  while  Minneapolis  outdoes  all  other 
cities  in  the  number  and  size  of  its  flouring  mills. 
But  as  yet  all  the  world  does  not  know  that  oats, 
corn,  flax,  potatoes,  as  well  as  all  the  hardier  vege- 
tables, are  produced  in  rich  abundance.  Although 
the  season  for  growth  is  comparatively  brief,  yet 
such  are  the  superb  qualities  of  earth  and  air  that 
vegetation  advances  toward  maturity  by  leaps  and 
bounds. 


MINNESOTA  23 

This  portion  of  the  Northwest  is  remarkably  well 
watered,  not  only  by  rivers  and  smaller  streams, 
but  also  to  a  phenomenal  extent  by  lakes,  frequent 
in  well  nigh  every  portion,  though  massed  also  in 
several  counties  of  the  north-central  portion.  The 
traditional  number  is  a  round  10,000,  and  the  best 
authorities  put  the  total  as  high  as  7,000.  In  size 
they  range  from  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  with  612 
square  miles  of  surface,  Red  with  342,  Rainy  with 
146,  Winnibigoshish  78,  to  several  hundreds  which 
scarcely  rise  above  the  dignity  of  ponds.  The  areas 
of  all  combined  form  a  total  of  4,160  square  miles. 
Their  waters  are  pure  and  well  stocked  with  fish.  So 
abundant  was  water  found  to  be  wherever  he  went 
that  the  explorer  Nicolet  could  hit  upon  no  name 
so  appropriate  for  the  entire  territory  as  Fouque's 
immortal  water-spirit,  Undine.* 

The  climate  of  Minnesota  constitutes  one  of  its 
most  characteristic  and  most  valuable  features, 
though,  on  account  of  the  high  latitude,  it  is  often 
thought  of  as  approaching  inconveniently  near  to 
the  arctic  quality.  Abundant  experience,  however, 
proves  this  to  be  a  gross  misapprehension,  an  infer- 
ence not  at  all  justified  by  the  facts  in  the  case.  It 
is  true  that  the  46th  parallel  divides  the  state  into 
nearly  equal  portions,  which  is  about  the  latitude  of 
Montreal;  while  in  distance  from  the  equator,  St. 

*  Rev.  Myron  A.  Munson,  in  a  published  historical  sermon, 
gives  the  original  Indian  name  of  the  region,  as  indicative  of 
the  great  multitude  of  lakes,  as  Mi-ni-so-ta,  The-land-of-sky- 
tinted-water. 


24  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

Paul  is  not  far  from  the  same  as  Bangor,  Me.,  or 
Montpelier,  Vt.  But,  by  a  beneficent  ordering  of 
nature,  to  the  west  of  the  Great  Lakes  the  isothermal 
lines  make  such  a  prodigious  sweep  to  the  north 
that  St.  Paul  actually  has  the  average  temperature 
of  Chicago,  Cleveland,  New  York  City,  and  Boston. 
The  summer  temperature  is*  that  of  Philadelphia. 
The  mercury  may  rise  high  during  the  day,  though 
the  nights  are  quite  certain  to  be  cool  and  refresh- 
ing. The  spring  temperature  is  that  of  northern 
Illinois,  northern  Ohio,  or  central  Pennsylvania; 
while  the  average  for  the  year  is  that  of  central  Wis- 
consin, central  New  York,  southern  New  Hamp- 
shire and  southern  Maine.  And  yet,  as  late  as  the 
thirties  of  the  last  century,  the  learned  officers  of 
the  government  exploring  expedition  gravely  de- 
clared Minnesota  to  be  "uninhabitable  save  for  In- 
dians and  herds,  and  to  be  unproductive  except  for 
a  few  of  the  hardiest  cereal  crops!"  And  as  late 
as  the  seventies,  when  a  certain  clergyman  was  about 
to  exchange  a  Missouri  pastorate  for  one  in  this 
hyperborean  and  utterly  forlorn  region,  a  sympa- 
thetic saint,  saying  good-bye  with  eyes  full  of  tears, 
straining  faith  well  nigh  beyond  reason,  exclaimed : 
"I  trust  that  a  kind  Providence  will  protect  your 
little  ones  from  the  cold !"  Nor  must  another  not- 
able compensation  be  omitted.  Its  high  latitude 
gives  to  Minnesota  longer  days  in  summer.  Dur- 
ing the  growing  season  therefore,  as  the  learned 
tell  us,  there  are  upwards  of  two  hours  more  of  sun- 


MINNESOTA  25 

light  here  than  in  regions  farther  south,  say  in  the 
latitude  of  Cincinnati.  This  fact,  combined  with 
the  usually  abundant  rain-fall  in  the  early  summer, 
goes  far  to  account  for  the  surprisingly  rapid  growth 
and  speedy  ripening  visible  everywhere  in  the  vege- 
table world.  It  is  noticeable  that  frosts  are  no  earlier 
nor  more  destructive  in  this  state  than  in  Iowa. 
And  finally,  a  peculiar  quality  of  the  soil  helps  won- 
drously  in  the  same  direction.  Seed  time  comes 
earlier  than  in  many  regions  lying  much  further 
south,  and  because  it  is  not  at  all  necessary  to  wait 
until  the  frost  is  all  out  and  the  ground  is  settled  be- 
fore the  seed  may  be  sown.  So  soon  as  a  few  inches 
of  the  surface  has  thawed,  that  is,  so  soon  as  the 
harrow  or  drill  can  do  their  part,  sowing  may  safely, 
begin;  and  this  though  a  foot  or  more  of  soil  be- 
low is  frozen  solid.  Let  one  in  early  June  journey 
from  the  Twin  Cities  southward  three  hundred 
miles  or  more,  and  he  will  perceive  no  great  differ- 
ence in  the  stage  of  vegetable  growth.* 


*Nature  has  made  the  entrance  from  the  Gulf  more  than  the 
portal  of  a  single  basin.  The  south  winds  which  are  swept  in 
from  its  tropical  waters,  uniting  with  other  currents  drawn 
thither  from  regions  bordering  on  the  Pacific,  course  north- 
ward together  to  be  precipitated  at  the  sources  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, Saskatchewan,  and  Mackenzie  rivers.  Thence  passing 
up  those  boreal  valleys,  reinforced  by  the  ch'inooks  from  the 
North  Pacific,  they  make  the  soil  fairly  tillable  almost  to  the 
Arctic  circle,  and  agriculture  profitable  as  far  north  as  the 
62°  of  latitude.  There  is  another  natural  cause  of  the  culti- 
vable power  of  these  high  latitudes  in  the  average  altitude  of 
the  land,  as  shown  in  the  8,000  feet  of  elevation  where  the  Union 
Pacific  railroad  runs,  and  the  4,000  on  the  line  of  the  Canadian 
Pacific.  It  has  been  computed  that  the  depression  of  altitude 
from  Wyoming  to  the  Mackenzie  river  would  counteract 


26  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

The  strange  absence  of  malaria  and  general  salub- 
rity of  the  climate  were  noticed  early,  when  as  yet 
the  sanitary  excellences  of  Colorado,  California  and 
Florida  were  altogether  unknown.  In  particular, 
pulmonary  diseases  are  not  indigenous,  and  if  con- 
sumption at  an  early  stage  is  taken  in  hand  by  re- 
moval to  this  trans-Mississippi  Northwest,  the 
abundant  sunshine  and  dry  atmosphere  are  next  to 
certain  to  bring  healing.  A  large  percentage  of  the 
early  settlers  were  attracted  to  Minnesota  by  its 
fame  as  a  health-restorer.  Said  a  writer  in  the 
"New  Englander"  as  early  as  1859 :  "That  state  is 
already  an  asylum  for  invalids  from  all  parts  of 
the  land.  The  dry  bracing  air  has  proved  pecu- 
liarly remedial.  Many  have  found  there  the  boon 
of  health,  from  the  Yankee  who  left  the  damp  sea- 
board with  a  cough,  to  the  Hoosier  who  came  'to 
git  shet  of  the  ager.'  A  speaker  at  a  railroad  meet- 
ing, who  was  exalting  the  climate  of  Minnesota, 
declared  among  other  things,  that  it  was  'a  tri- 
umphant vindication  of  all  pulmonary  diseases !' ' 
After  Carleton  was  planted,  Rev.  A.  K.  Packard, 
of  Anoka,  wrote  in  the  "Home  Missionary" :  "The 
climate  must  draw  many  students  from  the  East, 

climatically  a  northing  of  thirteen  degrees.  Furthermore,  the 
greater  length  of  sunlight  everywhere  characteristic  of  high 
latitudes  conduces  at  least  to  the  rapidity  of  botanic  develop- 
ment. All  these  causes  put  spring  on  the  Peace  river  ahead 
of  that  season  on  the  Minnesota,  and  the  ice  in  the  river  at 
Fort  Snelling,  near  St.  Paul,  is  said  to  break  up  simultan- 
eously with  that  at  Fort  Vermilion  in  Athabasca. — Winsor's 
"  Mississippi  Basin,"  pp.  7-8. 


MINNESOTA       -  27 

especially  those  with  consumptive  tendencies. 
Christian  parents,  who  wish  to  secure  most  favor*- 
able  moral  and  religious  influences  for  their  sons 
and  daughters,  together  with  the  advantages  of  our 
climate,  cannot  do  better  than  send  them  to  this  ris- 
ing institution." 

Exploration. — The  honor  of  first  making  this 
favored  region  known  to  the  civilized  world  is  to 
be  divided  between  two  Frenchmen :  Father  Henne- 
pin,  a  Franciscan  missionary,  who  in  1680  ascended 
the  Mississippi  from  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  as 
far  as  St.  Anthony's  Falls  (to  whom  also  this  cata- 
ract owes  its  name),  and  later  published  an  ac- 
count of  what  he  saw ;  and,  after  remaining  for  sev- 
eral months  in  these  parts,  was  met  by  Du  Luth,  an 
adventurous  courier  des  bois,  who  had  just  crossed 
the  wilderness  from  the  head  of  Lake  Superior. 
These  were  followed  in  1684  by  Perrot,  entering 
by  way  of  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin  rivers,  and  upon 
Lake  Pepin  establishing  the  first  trading  post;  and 
by  Le  Sueur,  who  in  1695  established  a  second  trad- 
ing post  between  this  lake  and  the  mouth  of  the  St. 
Croix,  and  a  third,  five  years  later,  upon  the  Blue 
Earth,  within  the  limits  of  the  county  which  now 
bears  his  name.  Other  missionaries  and  traders 
came  after  these,  but  their  achievements  possess 
slight  historical  significance.  The  former  presence 
of  Frenchmen  in  Minnesota  is  abundantly  recalled 
and  perpetuated  by  scores  of  such  proper  names  as 
these :  Duluth,  Faribault,  Hennepin,  Lac  qui  Parle, 


28  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

Le  Sueur,  Mille  Lacs,  Pomme  de  Terre,  St.  An- 
thony, St.  Cloud,  St.  Croix,  St.  Louis,  St.  Paul  and 
St.  Peter. 

The  first  of  Anglo-Saxons  to  touch  the  soil  of  the 
state  was  Jonathan  Carver,  a  Connecticut  Yankee, 
who,  soon  after  the  fall  of  Quebec  and  the  transfer 
of  the  Mississippi  valley  from  French  to  British 
dominion,  determined  to  visit  the  new  possessions, 
and  in  1766-68  journeyed  back  and  forth  through 
this  remote  Northwest,  spending  a  winter  not  far 
from  the  present  site  of  New  Ulm.  Carver  county 
fittingly  keeps  his  memory  green.  This  is  the  dis- 
cerning judgment  which  he  put  on  record:  "It  is 
a  country  which  promises  in  some  future  period  to 
be  an  inexhaustible  source  of  riches  to  that  people 
who  shall  be  so  fortunate  as  to  possess  it."  As  one 
of  the  results  of  the  Revolution,  by  the  treaty  of 
1783  that  portion  of  Minnesota  lying  to  the  east  of 
the  Mississippi  became  American  soil,  while  the 
residue  continued  to  be  Spanish,  or  French,  until 
the  purchase  of  Louisiana  in  1803.  And  then, 
almost  at  once,  not  only  was  the  memorable  expe- 
dition of  Lewis  and  Clark  dispatched  to  the  sources 
of  the  Missouri  and  across  the  Rockies  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Columbia,  but  General  Pike  was  also  ordered 
to  explore  the  Upper  Mississippi,  and  while  in  that 
region  he  secured  from  the  Sioux  a  liberal  grant 
of  land  at  the  junction  of  this  stream  with  the 
Minnesota  (or  St.  Peter's,  as  it  was  formerly  called). 
Here  a  body  of  soldiers  was  located  in  1819,  to  over- 


MINNESOTA  29 

awe  the  Indians  and  punish  murders  of  traders, 
trappers,  etc.,  and  a  few  years  later,  Fort  Snelling 
came  into  being.  Other  important  explorations 
were  made  by  General  Long,  1819-24,  by  Nicollet 
about  the  sources  of  the  Father  of  Waters  in  1836, 
and  by  far  the  most  extended  of  all,  by  Schoolcraft 
in  the  two  decades,  1820-40.  His  work  proved  most 
timely  also,  for  the  beginning  of  civilized  settle- 
ment was  near  at  hand.  Immigrants  had  begun 
to  pour  into  Illinois  and  Wisconsin  upon  the  east, 
and  also  into  Iowa  upon  the  south,  and  would  soon 
be  clamoring  for  admission  into  the  regions  beyond, 
which  as  yet  were  wholly  in  savage  hands. 

It  is  well  worth  while  to  pause  for  a  moment  at 
this  point  to  take  note  of  a  veritable  curiosity  of  his- 
tory, a  phenomenon  well  nigh  unparalleled  (at  least 
in  the  New  World)  in  the  way  of  frequent  change  of 
ownership,  or  jurisdiction.  From  time  immemorial 
the  aboriginal  inhabitants  had  been  in  actual  pos- 
session in  all  these  parts,  though  by  the  hazy  "right 
of  discovery"  in  modern  times  Spain  had  laid  claim 
to  dominion.  Next,  after  La  Salle's  famous  descent 
of  the  Mississippi,  France  insisted  that  the  entire 
vast  expanse  lying  upon  either  bank  of  that  stream 
belonged  of  right  to  her,  and  proceeded  to  occupy 
the  same.  But,  alas  for  her,  by  Wolfe's  momentous 
victory  on  the  Plains  of  Abraham,  whatever  be- 
tween the  Appalachians  and  the  Great  River  had 
been  French  was  at  once  transformed  into  British 
territory;  while  all  rights  to  the  soil  the  defeated 


30  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

party  had  possessed  beyond  that  stream  were  signed 
over  to  Spain.  And  finally,  as  a  magnificent  part  of 
the  outcome  of  the  surrender  at  Yorktown,  and 
after  an  aggravatingly  brief  holding  of  the  coveted 
prize  (only  a  paltry  twenty  years),  the  United 
States  entered  into  the  priceless  inheritance.  But, 
behold!  the  bulk  of  this  same  roomy  domain  had 
long  since  by  solemn  charter  been  deeded  to  Vir- 
ginia Colony  by  King  James  I.,  for  by  that  instru- 
ment her  limits  were  made  to  extend  westward  and 
northwestward  even  to  the  Pacific  ("South  Sea"), 
and  thus  embraced  nearly  one-half  of  the  entire  con- 
tinent! Therefore,  when  that  colony  was  consider- 
ing the  question  of  becoming  a  state  in  the  Union, 
she  manifested  a  strong  determination  to  maintain 
her  legal  rights  and  to  hold  her  own  against  all 
comers.  But  unfortunately  for  her,  no  less  than 
three  other  states  were  in  possession  of  similar  docu- 
ments, all  bearing  the  seal  royal,  and  giving  to  each 
right  and  title  to  at  least  a  portion  of  the  same  ter- 
ritory, since  the  same  South  Sea  was  named  as 
fixing  their  limits  towards  the  setting  sun.  How- 
ever, Connecticut's  claim  lay  too  far  south  to  apply 
to  Minnesota  soil;  but  Massachusetts  and  New 
York  joined  with  the  Old  Dominion  in  insisting 
upon  a  division  of  the  tract  in  dispute ;  and  finally, 
after  months  of  bitter  debate  and  wrangling  in  Con- 
gress, which  for  a  time  even  seriously  threatened  to 
nullify  the  attempt  to  "form  a  more  perfect  union," 
mollified  one  and  all  by  certain  liberal  reservations 


MINNESOTA  31 

of  soil,  these  claims  were  surrendered,  the  Federal 
government  was  acknowledged  sole  owner  and  ad- 
ministrator, and  the  Northwest  Territory  was  set 
up,  including  a  portion  of  Minnesota.  But  ques- 
tions of  jurisdiction  were  by  no  means  yet  all  set- 
tled. For  when  Ohio  attained  to  statehood  and  In- 
diana Territory  was  constituted,  the  courts  of  the 
latter  bore  sway  to  the  Mississippi  and  to  the  Do- 
minion of  Canada,  a  fraction  of  Minnesota  being 
therefore  included;  while  later  for  Indiana  judicial 
authority,  that  of  Illinois,  Michigan,  and  Wisconsin 
in  succession  was  substituted.  So  much  for  the 
fraction  of  the  state  lying  to  the  east  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, but  the  bulk  of  the  acreage  is  beyond, 
and  this  had  remained  Spanish  until  transferred  by 
a  trade  to  Napoleon,  and  destined  soon  after  by  pur- 
chase to  become  American.  When  Louisiana  be- 
came a  state,  Missouri  included  everything  to  the 
British  line,  as  also  Iowa  did  at  a  later  time,  until 
finally  Minnesota  attained  to  a  name  and  to  an  in- 
dependent existence.  If  now  we  count  up  all  these 
transfers  of  jurisdiction,  we  shall  find  that  they 
number  no  less  than  thirteen  before  the  transmigra- 
tion is  complete. 

Beginning  of  Settlement. — For  unknown  centuries 
the  aborigines  had  found  in  these  parts  a  fine  field 
for  hunting,  and  fishing,  and  fighting,  which  latter 
occupation  was  well  nigh  constant,  especially  be- 
tween the  Sioux  and  the  Ojibways.  But  these  sav- 
ages, like  all  their  kind  farther  east,  were  soon  to  be 


32  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

compelled  to  vacate  and  make  way  for  Anglo-Saxon 
civilization.  However,  their  former  presence  is 
properly  kept  in  mind  by  numbers  of  such  really 
euphonious  names  as  these,  beginning  with  that  of 
the  state  itself:  Anoka,  Itasca,  Kandiyohi,  Man- 
kato,  Minnehaha,  Minnetonka,  Shakopee,  Wabasha, 
Waseca,  Watonwan,  Winona ;  and  such  as  these  by 
translation,  Big  Stone,  Crow  Wing,  Otter  Tail,  and 
Yellow  Medicine. 

Through  all  the  early  decades  of  the  last  century 
this  wilderness  was  altogether  too  remote  and  in- 
accessible for  invasion  by  home-seekers.  But  by 
the  thirties  settlers  by  the  ten  thousand  had  begun 
to  pour  into  Illinois,  Wisconsin  and  Iowa,  thus 
approaching  Minnesota  simultaneously  from  two 
sides.  Also,  in  the  very  nick  of  time,  upon  the 
lakes  and  the  river  the  steamboat  had  made  its 
advent  to  facilitate  this  influx  of  population.  As 
far  back  as  1812,  by  the  agent  of  Lord  Selkirk,  a 
number  of  families  had  been  brought  from  Switzer- 
land and  located  on  the  Red  River  of  the  North, 
though  a  decade  or  more  later  a  portion,  dissatisfied 
with  their  surroundings,  had  removed  to  the 
neighborhood  of  Fort  Snelling.  Christian  mission- 
aries were  the  next  to  come,  the  Pond  brothers  lead- 
ing the  way  and  locating  on  Lake  Harriet;  with 
Riggs,  Williamson  and  others  soon  following,  to 
open  stations  on  Lake  Pepin,  and  on  the  Minnesota 
as  far  up  as  Yellow  Medicine;  also,  S.  G.  Wright 


MINNESOTA  33 

and  a  company  from  Oberlin  to  plant  the  Cross 
far  to  the  north  upon  Leech  lake. 

By  this  time  the  fame  of  the  vast  pine  forests  of 
this  region  had  spread  southward  to  the  prairie 
states — where  lumber  was  so  inconveniently  scarce 
— which  also  were  so  easily  reached  by  the  Missis- 
sippi and  its  upper  tributaries.  As  early  as  1837  the 
government  procured,  by  cession  from  its  Ojibway 
possessors,  the  valley  of  the  St.  Croix,  as  well  as  all 
the  region  lying  betwen  that  stream  and  the  Mis- 
sissippi ;  nor  were  lumbermen  long  in  improving  the 
opportunity  to  commence  vigorous  operations 
therein,  with  an  agricultural  population  also  enter- 
ing soon  to  till  the  soil  and  lay  the  foundations  for 
homes.  By  1845  tne  number  of  steamboats  ascend- 
ing annually  from  Galena  had  reached  a  dozen, 
and  three  years  later  had  increased  to  150. 

The  date  now  reached  constitutes  an  epoch,  since 
it  was  in  1849  tnat  by  act  of  Congress,  Minnesota 
Territory  was  launched  into  history,  endowed,  too, 
with  such  generous  proportions  as  to  extend  to  the 
Missouri,  and  to  include  some  200,000  square  miles. 
Alexander  Ramsay  (until  recently  living  in  St. 
Paul  and  held  in  high  honor),  was  appointed  gov- 
ernor, and  the  capital  was  fixed  at  St.  Paul.  The 
entire  population  of  the  territory  did  not  much  ex- 
ceed 4,000,  located  mainly  at  a  few  widely  scat- 
tered points,  and  composed  of  a  mixed  multitude  of 
whites  and  half-breeds.  Stillwater,  upon  the  St. 
Croix,  was  the  real  metropolis,  boasting  as  it  did 


34  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

of  divers  sawmills  and  two  hotels.  As  for  the 
capital,  a  few  traders  had  located  there  in  1838, 
and  three  years  later  a  Jesuit  father  had  built  a 
log  chapel  and  dedicated  it  to  the  great  Apostle  to 
the  Gentiles,  though  for  a  season  the  locality  was 
to  the  profane  familiarly  known  as  "  Pig's  Eye." 
When  the  decade  was  half  gone  only  three  families 
were  as  yet  in  residence,  but  by  June  of  1849  no 
less  than  600  buildings  had  been  erected,  including 
10  stores,  3  hotels,  2  printing  offices,  and  a  school- 
house.  However,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  natal 
year  records  that  "  you  cannot  walk  out  but  you 
meet  some  Dakota  with  his  pipe  and  blanket."  It 
must  be  remembered  that  up  to  this  date  all  the 
settlements  were  located  to  the  east  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, while  beyond  the  Indians  were  in  full  and 
undisputed  possession. 

While  these  feeble  beginnings  were  being  made 
in  Minnesota,  what  was  going  on  in  the  land  at 
large?  In  1842  Fremont  had  traversed  the  South 
Pass,  and  Dr.  Marcus  Whitman  made  his  famous 
ride  across  the  Continent  to  Washington,  and  the 
year  following  led  1,000  emigrants  across  the  plains 
and  mountains  to  Oregon.  In  1846  the  Mexican 
war  began.  In  1847  tne  Mormons  crossed  the  Great 
Plains  to  Salt  Lake.  In  1849  began  the  wild  rush 
to  California  in  eager  quest  for  gold. 


CHAELES   SECCOMBE. 


THE  FIFTIES 


CHAPTER  1 1. 

THE  FIFTIES. 

The  Period  of  Beginnings. 

It  will  be  profitable  in  many  ways  to  divide  the 
story  of  Carleton  college  into  periods  of  ten  years 
each,  and  also  in  each  chapter  to  connect  the  de- 
velopment of  the  institution  with  important  move- 
ments in  progress  in  the  land  at  large,  in  the  state, 
in  the  Congregational  churches  of  the  state,  and 
in  the  community  which  supplies  its  local  habita- 
tion. And,  although  no  actual  beginning  for  the 
school  was  made  until  the  sixties  were  well  advanced, 
yet,  since  the  real  foundations  were  put  in  place  dur- 
ing the  decade  preceding,  some  of  its  more  signifi- 
cant and  pertinent  happenings  may  well  first  pass 
under  view. 

In  the  Land  at  Large. — The  wild  craze  for  gold 
was  everywhere  and  reached  its  climax,  accompanied 
by  a  wholesale  migration  to  California  overland, 
across  the  Isthmus,  around  Cape  Horn,  with  the 
Pike's  Peak  excitement  added  during  the  closing 
years.  The  tide  of  emigration  to  the  prairie  region 
was  rapidly  swelling,  and  to  the  Great  Plains 
("Great  American  Desert")  beyond,  even  to  re- 
motest Oregon,  greatly  facilitated  and  increased  by 
the  astounding  development  of  the  railway  system.' 


36  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

By  wondrous  leaps  and  bounds  Chicago  was 
advancing  to  the  estate  of  a  metropolis ;  the  locomo- 
tive joining  her  to  the  Atlantic  seaboard  in  1853, 
and  not  long  after  reaching  the  Mississippi  and 
the  Missouri.  Wisconsin  to  the  east  of  Minnesota 
had  but  recently  attained  statehood,  likewise  Iowa 
to  the  south;  yes,  and  Oregon,  with  California 
following  during  the  first  year  of  the  decade  under 
view.  Let  these  pregnant  phrases  stand  for  the 
situation  in  realms  political  and  moral :  The  Repeal 
of  the  Missouri  Compromise;  the  passage  of  the 
Fugitive  Slave  Bill;  the  Dred  Scott  Decision;  the 
Kansas  Struggle;  the  formation  of  the  Republican 
Party ;  the  appearance  of  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin ;  John 
Brown's  Raid;  the  enactment  of  the  Maine  Law. 
Those  were  indeed  stirring  days;  times  that  tried 
men's  souls. 

In  Minnesota. — Coming  now  to  the  region  espe- 
cially under  view ;  for  several  years  and  increasingly, 
the  surging  tide  of  emigration  had  been  beating 
impetuously  against  all  barriers  to  farther  advance. 
It  was  in  response  to  this  pressure  that  Congress 
had  framed  a  territorial  government  for  Minnesota. 
But  for  three  years  longer  settlers  were  strictly 
forbidden  to  pass  beyond  the  Mississippi,  and  thus 
were  altogether  excluded  from  the  bulk  of  the 
Canaan  of  their  dreams  and  longings.  In  1852, 
however,  a  treaty  was  negotiated  with  the  savage 
possessors,  whereby,  for  value  received,  they  con- 
sented to  retire  at  once  to  the  upper  waters  of  the 


THE  FIFTIES  37 

Minnesota  river,  and  to  cede  their  claims  to  every- 
thing as  far  as  the  Missouri.  Thus  was  this  coveted 
and  roomy  domain  thrown  open  to  all  who  desired 
to  enter;  and  at  once  a  great  host,  the  eager  settlers 
began  to  pour  in,  naturally  first  of  all  occupying 
the  southeastern  portion.  It  was  noticed  then,  as 
often  afterwards,  that  the  pioneers  to  an  almost 
unprecedented  extent  were  from  New  England,  or 
at  least  were  of  pure  Yankee  stock,  the  latitude 
being  favorable,  and  the  wealth  of  the  extensive 
pineries  possessing  peculiar  attractions,  especially 
for  the  men  of  Maine.  It  was  this  fact,  this  phe- 
nomenon, that  very  soon  and  from  that  day  to 
this  kindled  and  kept  alive  in  the  breasts  of  Con- 
gregationalists  all  the  land  over  a  profound  interest 
in  matters  pertaining  to  Minnesota. 

As  indicating  the  sterling  character  of  the  early 
settlers  of  the  region,  we  quote  from  Dr.  J.  B. 
Clark's  "  Leavening  of  the  Nation."  Of  the  first 
territorial  legislature  he  says :  "  Four  of  its  mem- 
bers were  from  Canada,  two  from  Maine,  three  from 
Vermont,  one  from  New  Hampshire,  two  from 
Connecticut,  three  from  New  York,  two  from  Penn- 
sylvania, two  from  Michigan,  one  each  from  New 
Jersey,  Delaware,  Virginia,  Ohio,  and  Missouri, — 
twenty-four  in  all  and  two-thirds  of  them  from 
New  England  or  the  Middle  West.  With 
no  personal  knowledge  whatever  of  these  early 
legislators,  it  would  be  safe  to  assume  that  a  body 
thus  derived  might  be  trusted  to  deal  intelligently 


38  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

with  all  questions  of  public  interest.  Furthermore, 
the  young  territory  appears  to  have  been  equally 
fortunate  in  its  first  governor.  The  opening  note 
of  his  inaugural  message  is  an  appeal  for  a  strin- 
gent temperance  law,  accompanied  with  some  plain 
words  upon  "the  disreputable  and  demoralizing 
business  of  liquor  selling."  It  was  a  brave  and 
timely  note,  and  without  discounting  in  the  least 
the  sincerity  of  Governor  Ramsey,  we  may  presume 
that  his  message  reflected  the  sentiment  of  the 
majority  of  the  people.  The  entire  document,  clos- 
ing with  an  appeal  for  "  liberty  and  law,  religion 
and  education,"  was  the  prophecy  of  a  Christian 
commonwealth,  a  prophecy  amply  fulfilled,  and  af- 
fording the  best  evidence  that  the  Puritan  spirit, 
in  its  migration  to  the  Mississippi  and  beyond,  had 
lost  none  of  its  early  virility.  *  *  *  Within 
a  few  months  of  territorial  organization,  we  find 
further  proof  of  the  enlightened  spirit  of  the  govern- 
ment in  their  report  on  education.  "  Virtue  and 
intelligence,"  it  declares,  "  are  the  only  pillars  on 
which  republican  governments  can  safely  rest." 
"  Man  should  be  educated  for  eternity."  "  Morality 
and  religion  should  be  regarded  as  the  most  essen- 
tial elements  of  education  and  should  hold  their 
due  prominence  in  every  institution  of  learning. 
The  sublime  truths  and  precepts  of  Christianity 
should  be  impressed,  urged  and  clearly  explained,  as 
presented  in  the  Bible,  and  as  taught  and  illustrated 
by  its  Divine  Author;  and  bigotry,  fanaticism  and 


THE  FIFTIES  39 

narrow-minded  sectarian  prejudice  be  forever  ex- 
cluded from  every  temple  of  knowledge,  and  con- 
signed to  that  dark  oblivion  to  which  the  progress 
of  light  and  knowledge  are  hastening  them." 

"  We  beg  the  reader  to  note,"  Dr.  Clark  con- 
tinues, "  this  is  not  an  extract  from  some  preacher's 
Sabbath  morning  sermon,  but  is  taken  from  a  legis- 
lative report  of  Minnesota's  committee  on  educa- 
tion. Thus  far  we  have  failed  to  discover  any 
other  utterance  of  its  kind  so  complete  and  un- 
equivocal, and  so  clearly  demonstrating  that  the 
early  spirit  of  New  England,  which  was  the  effort 
of  Home  Missions  to  plant  in  New  York,  and  the 
Northwest  Territory,  had  taken  root  in  the  public 
life  of  the  newer  West,  and  was  propagating  itself 
now  beyond  the  river  and  onward  towards  the 
Pacific." 

It  happened  that  just  then  a  most  extraordinary 
business  boom  was  on  throughout  the  entire  country, 
and  perhaps  nowhere  was  the  excitement  more  in- 
tense than  in  this,  the  latest  Eden  to  be  discovered. 
Almost  without  number  claims  were  located  for 
farms,  for  village  sites,  for  great  cities-to-be.  Not 
only  was  the  soil  exceedingly  fertile,  but  here  also 
was  Nature's  boundless  sanitarium,  a  matchless 
health-resort  where  the  world's  consumptives,  and 
hapless  invalids  of  every  kind,  might  secure  restor- 
ation to  health  and  vigor.  But  ominously,  it  soon 
appeared  that  but  a  small  fraction  of  the  in-comers 
were  proposing  to  resort  to  agriculture  to  secure 


40  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

a  livelihood;  or  to  any  other  kind  of  useful  toil; 
but  speculation  in  real  estate  was  the  ruling  form 
of  activity.  Breadstuffs  were  almost  wholly  im- 
ported as  yet, — though  this  perhaps  in  part  because 
of  the  impression  that  grains  and  vegetables  could 
scarcely  be  grown  so  far  towards  the  Arctic  circle. 
As  late  as  1854  it  was  ascertained  that  only  15,000 
acres  were  under  cultivation.  Railroad  schemes 
preposterous  both  for  number  and  magnitude  were 
launched ;  the  legislature  also  encouraging  the  wild- 
est of  them  all  by  issuing  bonds  for  their  benefit. 
As  a  significant  sign  of  the  times,  the  number  of 
steamboats  arriving  at  St.  Paul  in  1850  was  but 
104,  had  only  advanced  to  200  three  years  later; 
but  in  1857  had  swollen  to  1,068.  At  the  end  of 
the  decade  the  population  had  reached  the  175,000 
mark.  It  is  to  be  noted  that  it  is  just  now,  when 
all  hearts  were  full  to  bursting  with  great  hopes 
and  boundless  expectations,  that  schemes  for  a  col- 
lege begin  to  appear. 

The  insane  excitement  attending  the  period  of 
speculation  is  admirably  pictured  by  Edward  Eggle- 
ston  in  his  "  Mystery  of  Metropolisville,"  which, 
though  not  published  until  1873,  gives  an  accurate 
report  of  what  his  eyes  beheld,  while  sojourning  for 
a  year  as  an  invalid,  within  a  dozen  miles  of  the 
present  site  of  Carleton,  and  a  second  time  not  long 
afterwards.  Cannon  City  was  one  of  the  boom 
towns  whose  magnitude  was  mostly  upon  tongue 
and  paper,  and  whose  birth  was  followed  swiftly 


THE  FIFTIES  41 

by  its  decease.  Cannon  river  and  lake  still  sur- 
vive, while  the  chief  characters  of  the  story  are  not 
pure  figments  of  the  imagination,  but  were  taken 
from  real  life;  and  the  leading  incidents  also  have 
a  solid  historic  foundation.  It  was  by  a  curious 
coincidence  that  at  this  time,  or  in  1855,  the  "  Song 
of  Hiawatha  "  appeared  from  the  press,  to  leap  at 
once  into  a  popularity  most  fervid  and  next  to  uni- 
versal in  the  literary  world.  It  cannot  be  doubted 
that  this  timely  poem  did  much  to  lift  the  infant 
Minnesota  to  fame  by  throwing  over  it  the  glamour 
of  poetry  and  romance  in  one  passage  of  consider- 
able length,  and  especially  by  the  frequent  use  of 
certain  sweet-sounding  proper  names,  with  Minne- 
haha  as  easily  the  chief.  From  henceforth  who  is 
able  to  separate  that  charming  waterfall  from  the 
charming  lines  which  thus  introduce  it  to  us  ? 

Thus  the  youthful  Hiawatha 
Said  within  himself  and  pondered, 
Much  perplexed  by  various  feelings, 
Listless,  longing,  hoping,  fearing, 
Dreaming  still  of  Minnehah'a, 
Of  the  lovely  Laughing  Water, 
In  the  land  of  the  Dacotahs. 
As  he  journeyed  without  resting, 
Till  he  heard  the  cataract's  laughter, 
Heard  the  Falls  of  Minnehaha, 
Calling  to  him  through  the  silence. 

After  nine  years  of  inchoate  existence  under  ter- 
ritorial conditions,  statehood  was  secured  in  1858, 
the  original  boundaries  remaining  the  same  as  be- 


42  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

fore  for  four  years,  when  Dakota  Territory  was 
formed,  covering  more  than  half  of  what  had  been 
Minnesota  since  1849.  But  even  before  that  event 
occurred,  a  crushing  catastrophe  had  befallen 
through  the  universal  financial  crash  of  1857,  which 
brought  general  ruin  to  business  of  every  kind  both 
East  and  West,  but  was  no  doubt  felt  most  keenly 
upon  the  frontier,  where  only  the  few  were  pos- 
sessed of  much  more  than  the  bare  necessaries  of 
life.  In  particular,  every  railroad  company  went 
into  utter  and  hopeless  bankruptcy,  was  unable  to 
fulfil  its  contracts,  and  so  forfeited  its  bonds  and 
charter.  An  untimely  visitation  of  grasshoppers 
added  much  to  the  general  distress,  with  two  sea- 
sons in  succession  otherwise  unfavorable  to  crops 
to  lend  increase  to  evil  conditions.  Just  now  also 
the  Pike's  Peak  excitement  was  at  its  height,  with 
the  Land  of  Gold  upon  the  Pacific  offering  seduc- 
tive inducements,  so  that  thousands  of  the  disheart- 
ened departed  westward.  Immigration  fell  off 
rapidly  and  at  length  well  nigh  ceased.  The  times 
were  exceeding  hard.  As  for  those  who  without 
flinching  endured  all  these  sore  trials,  who  of  course 
constituted  the  bone  and  sinew  of  the  population, 
they  now  turned  finally  away  from  all  foolish 
dreams  of  wealth  easily  and  quickly  acquired,  and 
began  to  lay  solid  and  certain  foundations  for  com- 
petence, for  social,  intellectual,  and  religious  pros- 
perity. 

Beginning  of  Congregationalism. — As   prelimin- 


THE  FIFTIES  43 

ary  and  explanatory,  in  order  to  understand  better 
some  of  the  events  to  be  mentioned  farther  on,  a 
glance  will  be  taken  at  the  condition  of  the  de- 
nomination as  a  whole.  And  in  part  for  the  special 
reason  that  the  period  under  view  in  this  chapter 
witnessed  the  fruitful  beginnings  of  a  radical 
change  in  its  history.  Hitherto  there  had  been  no 
sort  of  coherence  or  cooperation  among  the 
churches,  and  because  conference  of  a  national  char- 
acter had  been  wholly  lacking.  Only  local  and 
state  gatherings  had  ever  been  held,  nor  were  even 
these  everywhere  in  vogue ;  with  almost  utter  absence 
of  esprit  de  corps  as  the  natural  result.  But  in  1846 
the  western  churches  had  ventured  to  hold  a  conven- 
tion at  Michigan  City,  with  such  sweetness  of  fel- 
lowship and  such  spiritual  profit  resulting,  that  in 
1852,  the  Albany  Convention  followed,  whose  mem- 
bership represented  the  entire  Congregational  sister- 
hood of  churches  in  both  East  and  West.  It  was  the 
year  preceding  this  memorable  convocation  that  the 
first  Congregational  church  was  formed  in  Minne- 
sota. The  fateful  "  Plan  of  Union,"  dating  from 
1801,  designed  to  adjust  the  relations  of  churches 
bearing  the  New  England  stamp  with  those  fash- 
ioned after  the  Presbyterian  pattern,  had  been  work- 
ing mischief  increasingly  for  more  than  a  genera- 
tion ;  but  by  unanimous  vote  the  Albany  Convention 
had  counseled  and  exhorted  the  churches  and  min- 
isters so  far  as  possible  to  utterly  eschew  the  Plan 
from  henceforth;  also,  to  be  true  to  their  funda- 


44  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

mental  principles,  and  to  do  their  own  work  for  the 
Kingdom,  in  their  own  way.  This  same  sage  coun- 
sel was  commonly  followed,  though  yet  for  almost 
two  decades  the  entangling  alliance  continued  with 
the  New  School  Presbyterians  in  connection  with 
the  operations  of  the  American  Home  Missionary 
Society.  Minnesota  Congregationalism  is  happy  in 
not  having  been  born  until  the  Plan  had  at  least  be- 
gun to  lapse  into  "  innocuous  desuetude." 

The  Presbyterians  were  the  first  of  Protestants 
to  occupy  Minnesota  soil.  That  is  to  say,  the  Amer- 
ican Home  Missionary  Society  sent  two  Presby- 
terian missionaries  thither  in  the  summer  of  1849, 
Rev.  E.  D.  Neill,  who  soon  organized  a  Presby- 
terian church  in  St.  Paul,  and  Rev.  J.  C.  Whitney, 
who  a  few  weeks  later  gathered  a  second  one  in 
Stillwater.  The  year  following,  Mr.  Neill  com- 
menced work  at  St.  Anthony,  out  of  which  a  third 
Presbyterian  church  was  in  due  season  evolved. 
With  three  organizations  thus  existing,  only  one 
additional  minister  was  needed  in  order  to  make 
a  presbytery  ecclesiastically  possible,  whereupon  one 
was  imported  up  river  from  Galena,  being  tempo- 
rarily borrowed  for  this  specific  purpose.  But,  lo! 
just  then  it  occurred  that  two  other  missionaries 
appeared  upon  the  scene,  commissioned  and  sent  out 
by  the  same  society,  but  both  stanch  Congrega- 
tionalists;  Rev.  Richard  Hall*  (still  living  at  St. 


*  Richard  Hall  was  born  August  6,  1817,  in  New  Ipswich, 
N.  H.,  where  he  attended  an  academy  under  the  charge  of 


THE  FIFTIES  45 

Paul  and  beloved  in  an  honored  old  age),  desig- 
nated to  Point  Douglas;  and  Rev.  Charles  Sec- 
combe,  with  St.  Anthony  named  as  his  field,  where 
a  population  of  about  600  was  found.  Essaying  to 
take  charge  of  the  church  recently  organized,  he  was 
blandly  but  emphatically  informed  by  the  "  pres- 
bytery "  that  such  a  step  could  by  no  means  be  al- 
lowed unless  he  would  become  a  member  of  that 
judicature,  which  condition  precedent,  doughty  son 
of  the  Pilgrims  that  he  was,  he  emphatically  refused 
to  accept.  A  Congregational  church,  as  the  fitting 
outcome  of  the  ecclesiastical  muddle,  was  formed  in 
November  of  1852*.  Within  a  twelvemonth,  under 

Rev.  Charles  Shedd,  subsequently  known  in  the  West  as 
"Father  Shedd."  He  graduated  at  Dartmouth  College  in 
1847  and  at  Union  Theological  Seminary  in  1850.  Com- 
missioned by  the  American  Home  Missionary  Society  as 
missionary  to  the  territory  of  Minnesota,  he  came  west  im- 
mediately after  his  marriage,  Aug.  20,  1850,  to  Miss  Mary 
E.  Chapin,  who  shared  all  his  privations  and  labors  until 
her  death,  Jan.  14,  1898.  In  1856  he  was  commissioned  by 
the  national  society  as  Superintendent  of  Missions  for  Min- 
nesota and  N.  W.  Wisconsin,  serving  in  this  capacity  for 
Minnesota  until  his1  resignation  in  1874.  For  some  years 
he  sustained  official  relations  to  the  St.  Paul  Society  of 
Charities,  and  by  his  judicial  yet  sympathetic  spirit  made 
himself  very  useful.  His  advanced  age  and  infirmities  now 
forbid  active  labors. 

*  Charles  Seccombe  was  born  in  Salem,  Mass1.,  June  10, 
1817;  graduated  at  Dartmouth  College  1847,  and  at  Union 
Theo.  Sem'y  in  1850.  Pastor  at  St.  Anthony  Falls,  1850  to 
1866.  Agent  for  the  college,  or  teacher,  1866  to  1870.  Pas- 
tor in  Francestown,  N.  H.,  1871  to  1873 ;  Green  Island,  Neb., 
1873  to  1881 ;  Springfield,  So.  Dak.,  1881  to  1898,  and  died 
there  Nov.  4,  1000,  in  the  84th  year  of  his  age.  He  was 
one  of  the  founders  of  Yankton  College,  as  he  had  been  of 
Carleton.  His  first  wife,  who  died  May  28,  1853,  was  Ann 
Maria  Peabody.  April  24,  1854,  he  married  Harriet  M. 
Tolman,  of  Atkinson,  N.  H.,  who  died  March  29,  1895.  Two 


46  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

influence  from  the  Society,  these  two  so  nearly  re- 
lated bodies  concluded  to  coalesce  in  a  "  Plan  of 
Union  "  church ;  which,  however,  being  neither  fish, 
flesh,  nor  fowl,  suited  nobody  concerned,  and  there- 
fore finally,  after  the  passage  of  another  year,  by 
unanimous  vote  of  the  members,  the  policy  and 
name  was  changed  again,  and  the  First  Congre- 
gational Church  of  St.  Anthony  came  into  exist- 

sons,  Samuel  H.  and  Charles  H.,  entered  the  ministry — the 
former  being  now  settled  at  Weatherford,  Okla.,  and  the 
latter  at  Waterloo,  Iowa. 

"Father  Seccombe,"  as  he  was  called,  who  with  Rev. 
Richard  Hall  laid  the  foundations  of  Congregationalism  in 
Minnesota,  was  a  New  England  product, — Puritan  by  in- 
stinct and  training,  a  firm  believer  in  Christian  education,  and 
he  entered  into  the  project  of  a  Congregational  college  in 
Minnesota  with  great  enthusiasm.  His  name  heads  the  list 
of  the  first  trustees  appointed  for  the  institution.  Though 
modest  and  unassuming,  he  was  a  man  of  much  native  force, 
of  strong  convictions  and  corresponding  fearlessness.  Hard- 
ships endured  in  early  life  and  the  rigid  economy  practiced 
while  working  his  way  through  college  tempered  his  will 
almost  to  the  point  of  sternness,  but  he  was  gentle  in  spirit, 
mild  in  manner  and  slow  to  cherish  a  sense  of  personal  in- 
jury. His  public  utterances  had  the  earnest  ring  of  sin- 
cerity. Rev.  Dr.  G.  S.  F.  Savage,  describing  one  of  his 
speeches,  says :  "The  question  under  discussion  was  one 
which  deeply  interested  Mr.  Seccombe.  When  he  ascended* 
the  platform,  his1  quiet  manner  hardly  arrested  attention ; 
but  as  he  began  to  speak,  his  clear  statements  and  impas- 
sioned eloquence  thrilled  the  audience.  His  was  the  speech 
of  the  occasion."  His  intense  anti-slavery  sentiments  were 
never  concealed.  With  true  dramatic  art  he  pictured  many 
scenes  of  the  Civil  war,  and  showed  that  the  church  and 
the  schoolhouse  had  been  largely  instrumental  in  bringing 
victory  to  the  North;  and  the  people  of  Minnesota  were 
asked  to  give  even  out  of  their  poverty,  to  found  a  Christian 
college.  Thus  was  raised  the  first  ten  thousand  dollars  for 
Carleton  College.  The  house  built  by  Prof.  Seccombe  for  a 
home  still  stands  on  the  campus1.  In  its  cupola  the  wife 
often  sought  counsel  and  help  in  prayer,  when  the  flour 
barrel  was  empty,  and  her  husband  was  absent  soliciting 
money  for  the  infant  college. 


THE  FIFTIES  47 

ence, — nowadays  known  as  Minneapolis  First,  the 
mother  organization  in  Minnesota.  Meantime,  Mr. 
Hall  had  been  able  to  gather  a  church  at  Point 
Douglas,  the  second  in  the  territory,  but  later  moved 
across  the  St.  Croix,  and  hence  within  the  boun- 
daries of  Wisconsin. 

By  this  time  a  choice  community  was  gathering 
at  Excelsior  upon  Lake  Minnetonka,  composed 
originally  of  Eastern  families  united  in  a  colony, 
with  Rev.  Charles  Galpin  prominent  among  them, 
largely  through  whose  influence  a  church  was  organ- 
ized in  1853,  ne  a^so  becoming  its  pastor.  Gradu- 
ating from  Oberlin  Theological  Seminary  in  1844, 
two  years  afterwards  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  Lon- 
don meeting  of  the  Evangelical  Alliance,  and  was 
so  charmed  with  the  simple  and  catholic  doctrinal 
statement  upon  which  that  body  was  based,  that 
he  sought  to  reproduce  and  perpetuate  it  in  the  Ex- 
celsior organization;  calling  it  also  the  "Indepen- 
dent Church."  Of  this  godly  man  and  this  excel- 
lent community  we  shall  hear  further  in  later  para- 
graphs of  this  chapter,  for  it  was  perhaps  in  his 
perfervid  heart  that  the  idea  of  a  Congregational 
college  for  Minnesota  was  born.  The  next  year 
but  a  single  addition  was  made  to  the  sisterhood  of 
churches,  at  Winona,  but  three  followed  in  1855, 
at  Anoka  a  few  miles  up  the  Mississippi  from  St. 
Anthony,  at  Sauk  Rapids  still  further  north,  and  at 
Butternut  Valley,  a  Welsh  body  which  has  since 
disappeared.  The  year  following,  the  immigration 


48  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

boom  being  fairly  on,  added  eight  to  the  list,  one 
of  them  of  prime  importance  to  our  narrative: 
Cannon  Falls,  Faribault,  Lake  City  (later  one  of 
the  competitors  for  the  location  of  the  college), 
Monticello,  Northfield  (not  knowing  in  the  least 
what  high  honors  were  in  store),  Princeton,  Sara- 
toga, and  Spring  Valley.  It  was  now,  under  the 
impulse  given  by  the  rapid  multiplication  of 
churches,  that  the  Home  Missionary  Society  found 
it  necessary  to  organize  and  push  its  work,  and  so 
appointed  Richard  Hall  superintendent;  a  position 
held  by  him  for  eighteen  years.  This  same  eventful 
year  also  saw  the  organization  of  the  State  Con- 
ference (the  Kansas  state  body  dates  from  the  same 
year),  though  three  years  before,  a  Congregational 
Association,  a  purely  clerical  body,  had  been  formed 
when  but  six  ministers  could  be  mustered,  and  part 
of  these  resident  in  Wisconsin.  At  the  first  meeting 
of  the  conference  eight  churches  were  represented 
by  eight  pastors,  three  delegates,  and  Mr.  Hall,  the 
superintendent.  In  1857  eight  more  churches  came 
into  being,  with  Austin,  Minneapolis  Plymouth 
(now  the  largest  in  the  state),  Owatonna,  and 
Zumbrota  among  them.  But  1858  is  easily  the  ban- 
ner year  (which  also  saw  the  climax  of  the  specu- 
lation boom),  since  it  gave  birth  to  no  less  than 
thirteen  organizations.  St.  Paul  Plymouth  belongs 
to  this  group,  hostile  influence  from  a  certain 
ecclesiastical  quarter  having  hitherto  prevented  the 
institution  of  a  Christian  church  in  the  Congrega- 


THE  FIFTIES  49 

tional  way.  It  was  also  within  the  same  twelve- 
month that  Minnesota  emerged  from  the  period  of 
tutelage  and  became  a  sovereign  commonwealth. 

Nevertheless,  financial  collapse  was  at  the  door, 
bringing  paralysis  to  all  business  enterprises,  and 
producing  retrogression  in  every  realm.  For  a  long 
and  dreary  period  to  come,  the  entire  population 
was  wholly  engrossed,  not  in  pushing  any  advance 
movements,  but  in  merely  sustaining  such  under- 
takings as,  already  existing,  were  in  sorest  straits 
and  in  mortal  peril  of  perishing.  Convincing  evi- 
dence of  the  current  embarrassment  and  confusion 
appears  in  the  fact  that  during  the  last  year  of  the 
decade  only  nine  churches  were  added,  diminishing 
to  seven  in  1860,  to  one  only  the  next  year,  actually 
to  zero  the  next  after,  and  only  climbing  to  one  in 
1863.  In  all,  during  the  fifties,  47  churches  came 
into  existence,  with  a  total  membership  of  1,446, 
and  an  average  of  less  than  30.  In  every  case  the 
congregations  were  small,  the  people  were  generally 
poor  and  oppressed  with  heavy  financial  burdens; 
almost  every  church  was  yet  receiving  and  requiring 
missionary  aid,  and  a  large  majority  were  either 
destitute  of  sanctuaries  or  else  in  the  midst  of  the 
struggle  of  providing  them.  But  already,  be  it  re- 
membered, as  displaying  in  part  the  noble  en- 
thusiasm, the  splendid  optimism  abroad  in  this  new- 
est Northwest,  but  even  more. the  fine  intellectual 
and  spiritual  quality  of  at  least  a  portion  of  the 
population,  for  four  or  five  years  talk  of  an  institu- 


50  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

tion  of  higher  learning  had  been  in  the  air,  and  not 
a  little  of  earnest  scheming  had  been  done.  To  a 
consideration  of  these  first  attempts,  in  a  sense 
premature  and  abortive  though  they  were,  let  us 
now  turn  with  something  of  detail. 

Agitation  For  a  College. — Coming  great  events 
cast  their  shadows  before.  There  were  reformers 
before  the  Reformation.  While  the  multitude  in 
Minnesota  were  in  a  craze  for  money-making,  by 
not  a  few  objects  far  nobler  and  more  spiritual  were 
as  eagerly  pursued.  Burning  zeal  for  the  Kingdom 
was  by  no  means  wanting  for  the  speedy  planting 
of  all  manner  of  Christian  institutions,  with  schools 
of  every  grade  among  the  rest.  The  pioneers,  being 
mainly  of  Pilgrim  stock,  and  true  to  the  traditions 
of  New  England,  deemed  the  school  every  whit  as 
essential  as  the  home  or  the  church,  and  therefore 
almost  at  once  began  to  make  provision  for  all 
three.  It  is  interesting  to  notice  these  several  hints, 
or  prophecies,  of  what  was  certain  to  occur  at  the 
soonest.  The  first  suggestion  of  a  college  is  con- 
tained in  a  statement  of  Rev.  J.  R.  Barnes,  who 
had  recently  been  financial  agent  for  Marietta  col- 
lege, and  whose  wife  was  a  pupil  of  Mary  Lyon. 
As  he  for  substance  narrates :  In  May,  1856,  being 
in  Hastings  and  desirous  of  reaching  Cannon  Falls, 
and  by  chance  meeting  Mr.  North,  the  founder  of 
Northfield,  he  was  invited  to  ride  home  with  him. 
This  was  when  as  yet  that  destined  college  town 
consisted  of  scarcely  more  than  a  site,  a  name,  and 


THE  FIFTIES  51 

a  few  rude  dwellings.  While  journeying  together, 
Mr.  North  mentioned  the  fact  that  he  had  set  off 
sixteen  acres  which  he  would  donate  to  any  church 
which  would  undertake  to  establish  a  college  upon 
it.  Curiously,  it  has  come  out  that  a  portion  of  the 
selfsame  tract  he  had  in  mind  is  now  actually 
included  within  the  limits  of  the  Carleton  campus. 
Mr.  Barnes  further  informs  us  that  in  months  suc- 
ceeding, as  he  went  here  and  there  back  and  forth, 
and  particularly  when  he  observed  Northfield's 
choice  location  and  the  superior  quality  of  its  in- 
habitants, he  "  repeatedly  remarked  to  others  that 
here  was  the  spot  for  a  college."  But,  more  than 
this,  Zumbrota  was  founded  in  the  same  year  by  a 
colony  from  the  East,  with  the  idea  of  a  college  as 
a  part  of  the  original  plan.  Rev.  Charles  Shedd,* 


*  This  saintly  servant  of  Christ  was  born  at  Ringe,  N.  H., 
Oct.  21,  1802,  and  died  of  old  age  at  Zumbrota,  Minn.,  May 
5,  1885.  He  graduated  from  Dartmouth  College  in  1826  and 
was  principal  of  Kimball  Union  Academy  at  Meriden,  N.  H., 
from  1826  to  1834  and  of  the  academy  at  New  Ips"wich,  N.  H., 
from  1834  to  1841,  when  he  went  to  Campton,  N.  H.,  and 
the  next  year  was  ordained  pastor  of  the  Congregational 
church  there.  In  1857  he  removed  to  Zumbrota  where  he 
organized  a  Congregational  church  and  became  its  pastor, 
remaining  until  1858,  when  he  removed  to  Mantorville, 
Minn.,  organizing  another  church  of  which  he  was  pastor 
until  1874.  Without  undertaking  another  pastorate  he  did 
considerable  ministerial  work,  assisted  in  the  organization 
of  churches  at  Wasioja,  Claremont,  Hamilton  and  other 
places  in  southern  Minnesota,  and  returned  in  1880  to  Zum- 
brota, where  he  entered  into  rest  at  age  of  83.  "Father 
Shedd"  was  a  man  of  thorough  scholarship,  strong  convic- 
tions and  devout  spirit,  consecrated  to  his  work  and  always 
loyal  to  the  truth.  He  was  one  of  the  most  useful  and  hon- 
ored of  all  the  pioneer  ministers  of  Minnesota. 


62  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

who  had  been  for  years  at  the  head  of  a  New  Hamp- 
shire academy,  coming  to  be  pastor  of  the  church, 
and  bringing  with  him  a  zeal  for  learning,  is  be- 
lieved to  have  been  largely  the  inspiration  of  his 
flock  with  reference  to  the  proposed  founding  of 
such  a  school.  Again,  it  occurred  that  in  August, 
1858,  C.  M.  Goodsell,  a  resident  of  Illinois,  wrote 
to  Rev.  Richard  Hall  inquiring  if  a  college  had  as 
yet  been  started  in  Minnesota,  stating  that  he  pro- 
posed removing  thither  the  next  year,  and  would 
be  glad  to  locate  near  such  an  institution  and  assist 
it  to  the  utmost  with  his  means  and  his  influence. 
Such  encouraging  statements  were  received  in  reply 
that  a  removal  thither  was  made  in  1859,  with 
Northfield  selected  as  his  home. 

Before  giving  at  some  length  the  narrative  of  a 
seemingly  futile  educational  attempt  at  Excelsior, 
it  may  be  well  to  pause  long  enough  to  suggest  that 
others  also,  outside  of  the  Congregational  fold, 
were  pondering  and  planning  upon  similar  matters. 
Thus,  as  early  as  February  of  1851,  and  therefore 
during  the  territorial  regime,  Governor  Ramsay 
signed  an  act  incorporating  a  state  university,  "  to 
be  located  near  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony";  though 
the  legislature  provided  neither  endowment  nor 
appropriations  for  its  support.  However,  the  No- 
vember following,  recitations  commenced,  and  con- 
tinued for  three  years  and  a  half,  with  an  average 
attendance  of  some  sixty  students.  In  1854  the 
regents  purchased  a  portion  of  the  present  uni- 


THE  FIFTIES  53 

versity  campus,  and  two  years  later  the  founda- 
tions were  laid  for  a  structure  of  which  the  main 
part  was  to  be  four  stories  above  the  basement, 
with  two  wings  of  three  stories,  and  a  total  length 
of  277  feet.  But  soon  ensued  the  universal  finan- 
cial crash,  with  the  walls  only  partly  in  place,  and 
a  consequent  scattering  of  the  students,  not  to  be 
gathered  again  for  the  better  part  of  a  decade. 
Meantime  the  Baptists  had  been  agitating  for  a  bet- 
terment of  educational  facilities,  had  secured  a  site 
for  a  college  at  Hastings,  the  corner  stone  had  been 
laid,  and  $20,000  had  been  subscribed.  The 
Methodists  had  entered  into  possession  of  property 
at  Red  Wing  designed  for  the  same  purpose,  and 
valued  at  $29,000;  while  the  Episcopalians  were 
making  beginnings  at  Faribault,  not  to  mention 
the  enterprise  for  education  displayed  by  the  Pres- 
byterians and  Roman  Catholics.  But  with  all  these 
creditable  schemes  business  panic  and  paralysis 
played  sad  havoc  where  utter  ruin  was  not  also 
wrought. 

Returning  now  to  what  is  much  more  nearly  re- 
lated to  our  theme,  a  school  only  taking  rank  as 
an  academy,  though  in  the  desires  and  planning  of 
its  friends  destined  to  develop  into  a  college,  was 
already  in  existence  only  a  few  miles  to  the  west 
of  St.  Anthony,  planted  in  what  was  in  some  re- 
spects an  ideal  locality,  and  besides,  to  all  appear- 
ance, exceedingly  fortunate  in  the  circumstances  of 
its  birth.  Almost  contemporarily  it  was  written  by 


54  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

Rev.  C.  B.  Sheldon  in  the  "  Home  Missionary  " : 
"  In  the  winter  of  1856-7  a  revival  of  remarkable 
power  was  enjoyed  in  the  village  of  Excelsior  and 
its  vicinity.  Not  a  family,  and  hardly  an  individual, 
was  left  unblessed.  In  the  midst  of  those  hallowed 
scenes  it  was  conceived  that  they  might  do  eminent 
service  for  Christ  and  the  church  by  founding 
an  educational  institution,  which  should  have  for 
a  special  end  the  interests  of  religion,  as  well  as 
sound  learning.  Subscriptions  were  made  and 
pledges  given,  which  in  view  of  their  means  and 
circumstances  must  be  regarded  as  eminently  liberal. 
Freely  had  they  received,  and  freely  did  they  wish 
to  give  in  return." 

The  community  named  was  favored  with  a  most 
beautiful  location  upon  the  shores  of  Lake  Minne- 
tonka;  and  the  early  inhabitants,  as  to  both  intel- 
lectual and  spiritual  qualities,  were  of  a  grade  ex- 
ceptionally high.  As  we  saw,  it  was  here  that  the 
second  Congregational  church  in  the  state  was 
formed,  with  the  Rev.  Charles  Galpin  as  the  de- 
voted pastor.  With  the  funds  secured  a  good  build- 
ing was  erected,  Mr.  Galpin  being  the  lavish  donor 
of  $500,  and  a  school  was  duly  opened.  But  it  soon 
became  evident  that  sympathy,  patronage,  and  finan- 
cial support  as  well,  must  be  sought  from  outside 
of  Excelsior.  What  followed  in  the  way  of  effort 
to  gain  ecclesiastical  countenance  and  cooperation, 
we  gather  from  the  report  of  a  certain  commit- 
tee made  to  the  State  Conference  (the  body  which 


THE  FIFTIES  55 

since  1881  has  been  known  as  the  State  Associa- 
tion), still  in  existence  in  manuscript,  bearing  no 
date,  but  from  abundant  evidence  belonging  to 
1859,  from  which  these  two  lengthy  quotations  are 
made: 

"  At  the  meeting  of  the  General  Association  of 
Minnesota  (which  we  are  to  remember  was  a  purely 
ministerial  body,  formed  in  1853,  the  conference 
of  churches  having  no  existence  until  three  years 
later),  held  at  River  Falls,  Wisconsin,  in  April, 
1857,  the  brethren  made  a  statement  of  what  they 
had  done  and  of  what  they  wished  to  accomplish, 
and  succeeded  in  securing  the  approval  and  sanc- 
tion of  the  association  for  their  attempt  to  build 
up  there  a  Congregational  college;  and  also  the  ap- 
pointment of  a  board  of  trustees  to  manage  the 
interests  of  the  embryo  institution.  In  the  spring 
of  the  next  year  the  meeting  of  the  association 
was  held  at  Excelsior,  when  it  was  ascertained 
that  a  charter  had  been  secured  from  the  legislature, 
a  neat  building  had  been  erected  suitable  for  a 
preparatory  department  and  one  or  two  terms  of  a 
seject,  or  high  school,  had  been  held.  During  the 
session  it  was  concluded  that  as,  whatever  might 
be  their  name,  they  were  in  fact  likely  to  be  only 
the  Association  of  Northern  Minnesota  and  not  of 
the  whole  state  (the  gift  of  statehood  was  be- 
stowed this  very  year),  and  could  not  in  any  case 
have  authority  to  act  for  the  churches,  it  would 
be  better  to  transfer  the  patronage  of  the 


56  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

institution  to  the  conference,  if  that  body  should 
be  ready  to  receive  it.  Accordingly  this  request 
was  duly  presented  to  the  conference  which  met 
in  Faribault  in  October,  1858.  The  committee  to 
which  its  consideration  was  assigned,  in  their  re- 
port, while  highly  commending  the  benevolence 
and  zeal  of  the  brethren  at  Excelsior,  and  ex- 
pressing the  hope  that  they  would  go  on  and  give 
to  their  institution  as  high  a  character  as  possible, 
yet  stated  it  as  their  judgment  that  the  conference 
was  not  then  prepared  to  comply  with  the  request 
to  adopt  it.  Therefore  the  whole  subject  was  re- 
ferred to  a  new  committee  to  report,  as  they  are 
now  doing." 

This  second  committee  consisted  of  Revs. 
Lauren  Armsby,  J.  R.  Barnes  and  David  Andrews, 
who  in  the  autumn  of  the  year  following  reported 
that  they  had  carefully  considered  these  four  ques- 
tions :  "  Ought  we  to  have  a  denominational  col- 
lege? If  so,  should  the  foundations  be  laid  at 
once?  Had  we  better  adopt  the  institution  at  Ex- 
celsior? Should  the  college  be  taken  under  the 
patronage  of  this  conference,  and  so  this  body 
appoint  the  trustees  ?  "  Feeling  themselves  incom- 
petent to  answer  such  weighty  questions,  they  had 
written  to  a  number  of  eminent  scholars  and  edu- 
cators outside  the  state,  among  whom  were  Rev. 
Drs.  H.  Humphrey  and  John  Todd,  Pittsfield, 
Massachusetts;  Joseph  Haven,  Chicago  Theological 
Seminary;  J.  M.  Sturtevant,  Illinois  college;  and 


THE  FIFTIES  57 

Jonathan  Blanchard,  Galesburg,  Illinois.  From 
their  replies  these  characteristic  quotations  may 
well  be  made :  Deprecating  the  "  impolicy  of  the 
times"  in  establishing  too  many  denominational  col- 
leges, Dr.  Humphrey  adds :  "  I  would  not  plant 
a  college  too  far  from  a  considerable  population, 
*  *  *  but  I  am  decidedly  in  favor  of  a  pleasant 
and  prosperous  village,  rather  than  a  large  city 
or  large  commercial  town.  Experience,  I  think, 
proves  that  a  country  location  is  the  best." 

Dr.  Todd  expressed  himself  quite  vigorously : 
"  I  don't  like  any  denominational  institutions  ex- 
cept churches, — and  especially  colleges.  It  seems 
like  putting  literature  in  a  straight  jacket, — a  re- 
ligious jacket, — but  too  tight.  I  don't  believe  that 
if  Christ  were  to  found  a  college  there,  he  would 
make  it  denominational.  *  *  *  No!  No!  Ap- 
point the  best  men  you  can  get  for  trustees  and 
make  them  self -perpetuating,  and  then  let  them 
be  under  the  patronage  of  God  and  the  public. 
I  would  not  have  any  denominational  management 
about  it.  If  it  is  chartered  it  doubtless  has  trus- 
tees. Is  it  not  then  already  in  their  hands?  What 
can  the  conference  do  then  but  baptize  the  child 
and  give  it  a  name  and  then  go  to  nursing  it?  By 
all  means  I  would  have  the  trustees  self -perpetuat- 
ing. *  *  *  God  is  never  in  a  hurry  and  we 
need  not  be;  only  be  at  the  post  of  duty  when 
wanted.  By  your  account  you  are  already  flooded 
with  sectarian  colleges  and  I  would  not  make  an- 


58  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

other.  If  I  could  not  have  it  on  a  basis  broader 
than  any  ism  I  would  not  have  it.  I  don't  sympa- 
thize with  anything  sectarian.  *  *  *  I  write 
you  my  honest  convictions  and  if  they  are  not 
worth  much  they  do  not  cost  you  much.  I  should 
want  a  college  or  educational  establishment  under 
strictly  Christian  teachers  and  guardians,  but  I 
would  not  have  it  with  sectarianism  written  on  its 
walls,  or  have  it  sustained  for  the  pitiful  purpose 
of  serving  a  denomination.  *  He  that  findeth  his 
life  shall  lose  it.'  " 

Instructed  by  such  suggestions  as  were  received 
from  such  high  sources,  after  pondering  long  and 
well,  this  conclusion  was  formulated  and  presented 
to  the  brethren  : 

"  There  are  colleges  enough  started  already,  if 
they  ever  become  worthy  of  the  name,  to  educate 
all  who  wish  to  avail  themselves  of  their  advantages 
for  fifty  years  to  come"  (no  doubt  alluding  to 
the  nearly  half-score  of  "colleges"  and  "univer- 
sities "  already  launched  in  the  state,  at  least  on 
paper).  "But  these  are  not  likely  to  supply  our 
.  wants  as  Congregationalists.  We  do  appear  to 
need  a  college  of  our  own,  or  we  shall  need  it 
before  a  long  time  has  elapsed.  We  would  like 
to  build  up  a  Congregational  college  in  Minnesota 
as  good  as  any  of  those  from  which  we  graduated, 
or  even  better  than  they,  if  that  might  be.  As  to 
the  time  of  beginning  to  lay  the  foundations,  we 
can  hardly  start  the  movement  too  early.  It  can 


THE  FIFTIES  59 

be  only  a  beginning,  and  probably  only  a  small 
one  at  first;  and  we  wish  there  were  some  proper 
appellation  for  an  infant  college,  as  there  is  for  an 
infant  man.  An  infant  man  is  a  babe,  and  we  ex- 
pect nothing  from  him  beyond  a  babe's  capacity. 
It  does  not  seem  to  be  appropriate  to  give  the 
name  of  college,  or  university,  to  an  infant  institu- 
tion of  learning.  If  we  were  to  wait  (e.  g.,  as 
some  of  the  wise  men  of  the  East  had  counseled) 
until  we  can  build  up  an  amply  endowed  institu- 
tion, we  should  be  in  our  graves  before  the  first 
step  could  be  taken.  As  to  location,  in  favor  of 
Excelsior  it  may  be  said  that  a  beginning  has  al- 
ready been  made,  a  building  has  been  erected, 
and  subscriptions  of  money  and  land  have  been 
made,  the  amount  of  which  is  not  known.  The 
village  named  has  a  pleasant  site  overlooking  Lake 
Minnetonka,  a  considerable  body  of  water,  but  is 
at  some  distance  from  any  commercial  or  manu- 
facturing center,  either  now  existing  or  prospective. 
A  college  would  be  the  chief  thing  there,  which 
might  be  very  desirable.  An  infant  college  needs 
some  competent  person  whose  special  business  it 
shall  be  to  take  care  of  it.  Rev.  Charles  Galpin, 
of  Excelsior,  takes  the  deepest  interest  in 
the  institution.  He  may  be  said  to  have 
adopted  it  as  his  child,  and  proposes  to  make  it  his 
heir.  Excelsior  occupies  a  somewhat  central  posi- 
tion in  the  state.  It  will  probably  be  as  easy  of 
access  as  any  other  inland  town.  It  is  eight  miles 


60  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

from  steamboat  navigation  on  the  Minnesota  river, 
and  five  or  six  from  a  projected  railroad.  If  there- 
fore we  ought  to  have  a  college  of  our  own,  and 
a  beginning  should  be  made  at  once,  we  can  prob- 
ably do  no  better  than  adopt  the  school  at  Ex- 
celsior. It  is  all-important,  however,  that  we  should 
be  harmonious  in  our  action.  Our  strength  is 
small  at  best,  and  we  must  concentrate  all  of  it 
on  our  proposed  enterprise,  if  we  would  have  it 
succeed.  The  whole  subject  of  location  should  be 
thoroughly  investigated,  and  if  possible,  the  place 
selected  should  be  the  one  which  all  will  agree  is 
the  most  desirable.  If  more  light  is  needed  before 
further  action,  it  will  be  much  better  to  wait  an- 
other year  than  to  act  now  prematurely  and  un- 
wisely." 

With  this  well-considered  report  before  the  con- 
ference, that  body  took  the  following  action,  as  we 
learn  from  the  Minutes  of  1859:  "After  con- 
siderable discussion,  at  a  later  session  it  was  Re- 
solved, That,  as  the  conference  is  not  prepared 
to  decide  respecting  the  institution  at  Excelsior, 
the  matter  of  a  college  be  recommitted  to  the  pres- 
ent standing  committee,  and  it  is  instructed  to  re- 
port to  this  body  at  its  next  annual  meeting  upon 
these  two  points:  What  is  the  best  location  for  a 
college?  and,  Is  the  plan  of  uniting  with  other 
denominations  in  the  state  university  feasible?" 
From  the  Minutes  of  1860  it  appears  that,  "The 
committee  on  education  reported  that  a  literary  in- 


THE  FIFTIES  61 

stitution  like  Amherst  is  eminently  desirable  in 
our  state;  as  much  time  will  be  required  for  its 
endowment,  it  should  be  commenced  soon;  that 
the  school  at  Excelsior  is  a  good  one  of  its  kind; 
that  it  would  not  be  advisable  for  the  conference 
to  take  it  under  its  formal  patronage;  that  with  a 
modest  name  and  an  attainable  end  in  view  it  may 
accomplish  a  good  work."  The  representatives  of 
the  churches  appear  to  have  been  satisfied  that  the 
conclusions  of  the  committee  were  sound.  All  the 
reasons  which  united  to  produce  this  adverse  de- 
cision cannot  now  be  gathered,  but  perhaps  the  two 
which  we  possess  are  sufficient.  The  earlier  com- 
mittee, from  whose  report  such  lengthy  extracts 
have  been  given,  suggested  that  "  in  the  year  and 
a  half  (since  application  was  first  made  to  the 
conference),  there  had  been  a  most  remarkable 
change  in  the  financial  condition  of  the  country, 
which  rendered  inexpedient  the  execution  of  many 
plans  the  carrying  out  of  which  had  been  thought 
exceedingly  desirable."  The  times  were  indeed 
unpropitious  in  the  extreme.  The  crisis  and  crash 
were  on,  also  with  secession  and  rebellion  following 
hard  after.  College-building  must  needs  be  post- 
poned to  happier  days.  Then  in  addition,  Rev. 
Richard  Hall  is  authority  for  the  statement  that 
"  few  had  confidence  in  Brother  Galpin's  qualifi- 
cations to  be  financial  manager  for  a  college.  He 
was  a  good  man,  and  wanted  to  do  good,  but 


62  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

seemed  not  to  be  the  man  to  lead  such  an  import- 
ant enterprise." 

It  therefore  came  to  pass  that  Mr.  Galpin  and 
his  Excelsior  coadjutors  were  left  to  carry  alone 
the  project  which  they  had  launched  with  the  very 
best  of  motives  and  with  abundant  zeal.  Not 
strangely  he  felt  that  his  brethren,  who  at  first  had 
bestowed  substantial  encouragement,  had  now  cast 
him  off.  But  this  child  of  his  heart  and  brain  had 
become  dearer  to  him  than  life.  Its  origin  in  a 
work  of  grace  might  well  have  persuaded  a  man 
possessed  of  such  intensity  and  devotion,  that  to 
leave  it  now  to  perish,  would  be  an  act  most 
wicked.  He  had  put  his  hand  so  resolutely  to  the 
plow  that  turning  back  was  not  for  a  moment  to 
be  thought  of.  So  he  toiled  resolutely  on  through 
all  the  hard,  hard  times  in  store,  and  hoped  on 
against  hope  year  after  year.  In  order  to  pro- 
vide the  funds  required  he  exchanged  the  ministry 
for  dentistry,  traveling  back  and  forth  all  the  state 
over.  Let  Rev.  C.  B.  Sheldon,  his  successor  in 
the  Excelsior  pastorate,  tell  something  of  what  fol- 
lowed. In  the  "  Home  Missionary  "  for  January, 
1866,  he  writes:  "I  will  confine  myself  to  the 
educational  enterprise  here,  which  you  may  have 
supposed  was  extinct.  But  it  is  not  so.  It  felt 
the  effects  of  the  war,  and  no  instruction  was  main- 
tained during  the  past  year.  But  now  there  is  a 
prospect  of  its  being  revived.  Its  existence  and 
support  thus  far  have  been  chiefly  due  to  the  energy 


THE  FIFTIES  63 

and  liberality  of  Mr.  Galpin.  When  his  pastorate 
ceased,  he  conceived  himself  called  to  the  work 
of  founding  an  institution  of  learning  which  should 
be  a  blessing  not  only  to  this  community  but  to 
the  world.  He  has  kept  this  end  steadily  in  view, 
devoting  himself  to  secular  employments  to  get 
the  means.  He  paid  some  $500  towards  the  build- 
ing, which  has  been  used  since  1858,  as  a  school- 
room and  a  place 'of  worship.  He  has  also  paid 
from  $100  to  $200  a  year  towards  the  support 
of  a  teacher.  He  follows  the  dentist's  calling,  and 
last  year  providence  seemed  to  smile  upon  him,  so 
that  he  felt  confident  that  he  can  devote  from 
$1,000  to  $2,000  annually  to  his  beloved  object.  A 
teacher  has  been  secured  from  New  York,  and 
the  school  is  to  open  the  present  month.  The 
school  had  its  birth  in  a  revival,  and  has  always 
been  deemed  under  the  care  of  this  church." 

But  no,  it  was  not  so  to  be.  Mr.  Galpin's  hopes 
were  doomed  to  meet  with  overwhelming  failure. 
The  very  year  in  which  Mr.  Sheldon's  letter  was 
written,  Carleton  College  was  located  at  Northfield 
by  vote  of  the  conference,  a  decision  which  of 
course  was  a  coup  de  grace  to  the  idea  of  Excelsior 
ever  becoming  the  seat  of  an  institution  of  higher 
learning  cared  for  by  the  Congregational  churches. 
As  later  we  shall  see,  Mr.  Galpin  was  on  hand 
when  the  question  of  location  was  settled,  and 
made  a  long  and  most  fervid  appeal  for  the  adop- 
tion of  his  enterprise.  For  several  years  it  dragged 


64  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

along  with  the  fates  all  seemingly  against  it,  but 
finally,  its  early  friends  growing  weary  of  bearing 
so  heavy  a  burden,  the  property  was  sold  and  the 
school  ceased  to  be.  Mr.  Galpin  died  in  1872, 
at  the  age  of  sixty. 

Northfield  and  Its  Church. — In  order  to  fully 
appreciate  the  college,  it  is  necessary  to  know 
somewhat  of  the  community  in  the  midst  of  which 
it  is  located,  and  also  of  the  Congregational  church, 
since  these  were  destined  to  supply  a  home  and 
nurture  for  the  institution,  to  surround  the  students 
with  a  healthful  social  and  religious  atmosphere, 
and  in  many  ways  most  important,  to  minister  to 
the  well-being  of  both.  As  for  the  city,  it  is  located 
upon  a  most  attractive  site,  covering  both  sides  of 
Cannon  river,  only  an  hour's  ride  from  the  Twin 
Cities,  and  about  the  same  distance  from  the  Mis- 
sissippi. North,  east  and  south  stretches  away  a 
boundless  expanse  of  rolling  prairie  nowhere  sur- 
passed for  beauty  and  fertility,  while  close  by  upon 
the  west  is  the  border  of  the  "  Big  Woods,"  the 
largest  tract  of  the  kind  to  be  found  between 
Michigan  and  the  Rockies.  The  river  at  this  point 
forms  the  boundary  between  the  forest  and  the 
prairie,  and  hence  this  locality  possesses  a  rare  com- 
bination of  productive  soil,  and  timber  both  for 
fuel  and  building  purposes.  In  addition,  just  here 
is  found  a  valuable  water  power,  which  also  at 
the  first  supplied  the  reason  for  selecting  this  spot 
as  a  center  for  population  and  business.  North- 


THE  FIFTIES  65 

field  was  among  the  earlier  settlements  formed 
after  the  region  was  opened  for  occupation.  The 
first  white  visitors  in  these  parts  made  their  ap- 
pearance as  far  back  as  the  summer  of  1853,  and 
in  the  spring  of  the  next  year  settlers  began  to 
enter  and  occupy  this  section  of  the  upper  Cannon 
valley.  The  acres  upon  which  the  city  stands  were 
preempted  by  three  men,  but  the  real  founder  was 
John  W.  North,  who  had  emigrated  from  Utica, 
New  York,  in  1855,  to  locate  first  at  Faribault 
but,  within  a  twelvemonth,  changing  his  residence, 
he  bought  out  the  original  proprietors  and  pro- 
ceeded to  lay  off  lots  for  residences  and  places 
of  business.  Within  three  months  he  had  erected 
a  dwelling,  the  first  one  to  rise,  a  $4,000  saw-mill, 
and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  stream  had  com- 
menced the  construction  of  a  flouring  mill  to  cost 
$10,000.  In  June  arrived  Northfield's  first  mer- 
chant, Hiram  Scriver,  to  be  followed  in  September 
by  the  Skinner  brothers  to  open  another  store.  As 
we  shall  see  these  two  names  are  closely  identified 
with  the  rise  and  progress  of  Carleton  College.  A 
number  of  others  soon  purchased  building  sites, 
and  plain  residences  began  to  appear  on  every 
hand.  By  vote  of  the  citizens  the  hamlet  began 
to  be  called  by  the  name  of  its  founder.  During 
the  summer  a  schoolhouse  was  built.  In  1857 
Mr.  North  commenced  work  upon  the  "American 
House";  capacious  and  three  stories  high,  a  veri- 
table marvel  to  the  plain  people  of  the  time,  both 


66  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

for  proportions  and  elegance.  Of  course  nobody 
dreamed  then  of  the  destiny  in  store  for  this  hos- 
telry, that  within  a  few  years  it  would  be  gazed  at 
with  wonder  and  reverence  as  "  The  College,"  and 
go  down  to  posterity  as  "  Ladies'  Hall !  " 

These  facts  gleaned  from  the  happenings  of  the 
first  years  are  full  of  significance  as  well  as  his- 
toric interest,  and  are  pertinent  besides.  This 
same  pioneer  and  founder  was  a  man  overflowing 
with  public  spirit  and  moral  earnestness,  and  was 
profoundly  interested  in  various  questions  of  re- 
form, with  temperance  prominent  among  them. 
Thus,  while  a  citizen  of  Faribault,  he  had  under- 
taken to  make  the  liquor  traffic  impossible  by  pro- 
hibitive clauses  inserted  into  every  title  deed;  and 
it  was  mainly  because  of  his  failure  at  this  point, 
through  lack  of  sympathy  and  cooperation  from 
his  partners,  that  he  decided  to  dispose  of  his  prop- 
erty interests  there.  A  second  attempt  was  made 
in  Northfielcl,  and  though  rewarded  with  success 
only  partial  and  temporary,  it  can  scarcely  be 
doubted  that  ever  since  his  courageous  and  vigor- 
ous advocacy  of  strict  temperance  sentiments,  has 
been  a  source  of  benefit  to  the  entire  community. 
His  public  spirit  was  displayed  in  other  ways  as 
well.  At  an  early  date  a  lyceum  and  reading-room 
were  started,  with  Mr.  North  among  the  chief 
movers  and  supporters  in  a  building  erected  for 
the  purpose.  Almost  the  entire  community,  how- 
ever, was  united  in  these  laudable  undertakings,  be- 


THE  FIFTIES  67 

stowing  gifts  of  money,  books,  papers,  and  labor  of 
various  kinds.  Courses  of  lectures  were  provided, 
and  for  years  frequent  sociables  were  held,  with 
the  proceeds  devoted  to  payment  of  expenses.  The 
literary  activity  and  the  intellectual  vigor  thus  dis- 
played, existing  among  this  population  from  the 
very  first,  is  to  be  taken  as  a  distinct  prophecy  of 
vastly  better  things  in  store ;  is  even  to  be  considered 
in  part,  at  least,  the  efficient  cause,  of  which  the 
location  of  an  institution  of  learning  here  in  later 
years  was  the  legitimate  and  the  logical  effect. 

The  connection  of  Mr.  North  with  the  com- 
munity which  he  founded,  though  of  the  utmost  im- 
portance, was  quite  brief,  lasting  only  about  six 
years.  It  had  unfortunately  occurred  that  he,  in 
common  with  multitudes  at  that  time  both  East  and 
West,  was  carried  away  with  great  expectations  of 
lasting  prosperity.  Hence  all  his  resources  were 
strained  to  the  utmost,  in  order  to  invest  in  un- 
dertakings promising  large  returns,  and  that  he 
might  give  freely  to  all  public  enterprises;  borrow- 
ing also  large  sums  from  his  friends.  But,  alas, 
the  cataclysm  of  1857  befell,  and  he  found  himself 
overwhelmed  with  debts  which  he  had  not  the  least 
ability  to  pay.  In  1860,  turning  over  all  his  hold- 
ings to  be  sold  for  the  benefit  of  his  creditors, 
he  took  his  departure  for  the  mining  regions  of 
Nevada  and  California,  though  never  losing  his 
deep  interest  in  Northfield.  When  the  college  had 
come  into  being,  and  in  some  measure  prosperity 


68  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

had  returned  to  him,  several  substantial  tokens  of 
his  regard  were  bestowed.  In  this  connection  an- 
other honored  name  must  be  mentioned,  that  of 
Charles  M.  Goodsell,  easily  second  for  significance 
in  the  history  of  the  community  and  in  the  story 
of  the  college  rising  to  the  first  place,  whose  advent 
was  made  in  1859,  or  only  about  a  year  before 
the  removal  of  Mr.  North,  his  heart  swelling  with 
large  desires,  and  cherishing  lofty  purposes  in  be- 
half of  the  Kingdom,  of  which  further  on  we  shall 
duly  hear. 

Turning  now  to  the  religious  side  of  North- 
field's  early  history,  it  is  related  that  as  early  as 
1853  a  company  of  explorers,  halting  for  a  day 
or  two  in  this  vicinity,  had  held  a  devotional  serv- 
ice, and  it  is  known  that  on  a  certain  Sunday  in 
June  of  the  next  year  a  worshipful  soul,  no  fel- 
lowship in  devotion  being  possible,  sat  all  day  alone 
on  the  highest  elevation  within  reach,  New  Testa- 
ment in  hand,  and  by  turns  read  and  sang,  pon- 
dered and  prayed,  and  gazed  about  upon  the  won- 
derful works  of  God.  Two  months  later,  a  mile 
or  two  to  the  south,  a  religious  gathering  was 
held  in  a  cabin  as  yet  unpossessed  of  a  floor,  at 
which  the  entire  population,  Northfield  included, 
that  is,  a  half-dozen  families  or  so,  was  present, 
having  been  transported  thither  in  a  wagon  drawn 
by  oxen.  The  preacher  was  a  Baptist  missionary 
resident  in  the  region,  who  in  the  afternoon  preached 
again,  but  upon  the  site  of  the  village-to-be,  where 


RICHARD   HALL. 


THE  FIFTIES  69 

at  that  date  no  settler's  stakes  had  as  yet  been 
driven;  but  a  log  dwelling  hard  by  was  utilized, 
though  not  advanced  beyond  half  a  roof  and  half 
a  floor,  and  destitute  of  both  doors  and  windows.* 
Early  in  June  of  1855  Rev.  Richard  Hall,  with 
oxen  for  motive  power,  paid  a  visit  to  the  same 
locality,  still  only  a  stretch  of  unbroken  rolling 
prairie,  to  preach  in  the  same  habitation,  now  sup- 
plied with  an  entire  roof  of  boards  and  sods.  The 
spring  of  the  year  following  was  marked  by  the 
arrival  of  large  numbers,  and  among  them  several 
families  of  great  spiritual  worth,  with  a  prayer- 
meeting  among  the  results;  and  in  May  Rev.  J.  R. 
Barnes  arrived,  to  find  a  few  dwellings  under  way, 
and  a  name  bestowed  upon  the  locality.  After  visit- 
ing for  a  few  days,  and  finding  quite  a  large  Con- 
gregational element,  he  passed  on  to  Cannon  Falls 
to  locate,  but  promising  to  return  soon  and  preach. 
It  was  at  this,  the  very  birthday  of  society  here- 
abouts, when  Northfield  was  scarcely  more  than  a 
project  and  a  hope,  that  the  idea  of  a  college  had 
dawned  and  was  mentioned;  for  arriving  in  com- 
pany with  Mr.  North,  as  we  saw,  Mr.  Barnes  was 


*A  monument  now  marks  the  spot,  erected  by  popular 
subscription,  and  unveiled,  after  an  address  by  Hon.  W.  S. 
Pattee,  Oct.  27,  1887.  Its  inscriptions  are:  (On  the  west 
side)  The  first  public  religious  service  in  Northfield  was 
held  on  this'  spot,  August,  1854,  led  by  Rev.  T.  R.  Cressey, 
Baptist  Missionary.  (On  the  east  side)  The  first  sermon 
in  Northfield,  by  a  Congregational  clergyman,  was  preached 
here,  June  10,  1855,  by  Rev.  Richard  Hall.  The  first  mar- 
riage in  Northfield  occurred  here  June  II,  1855. 


70  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

informed  that  he  was  ready  to  donate  a  consider- 
able tract  for  the  uses  of  such  an  institution. 

From  this  time  forward  progress  was  rapid.  For 
within  a  month  Mr.  Hall,  recently  appointed  mis- 
sionary superintendent,  was  present  a  second  time, 
preaching  with  a  work-bench  for  a  pulpit,  in  a 
primitive  structure  designed  for  a  hotel,  now  but 
partly  inclosed,  from  the  text,  John  17:18,  "As 
thou  hast  sent  me  into  the  world,  even  so  have  I 
sent  them  into  the  world."  In  the  afternoon  a 
sermon  followed  from  Mr.  Barnes,  whose  text  was 
I  Cor.  5  :6 :  "  Know  ye  not  that  a  little  leaven  leav- 
eneth  the  whole  lump?  "  and  his  theme,  "  The  im- 
portance of  communities  starting  right."  At  the 
conclusion  of  the  service  at  least  one  of  his  audi- 
tors had  reached  the  conviction :  "  Let  us  have 
Gospel  institutions  here  as  soon  as  possible."  After 
this  Mr.  Barnes  came  regularly  every  other  Sab- 
bath, preaching  sometimes  in  the  building  already 
named,  and  sometimes  in  the  mill,  whose  walls 
went  up  this  year.  A  schoolhouse  also  was  under 
construction,  built  large  and  with  high  ceilings,  in 
order  to  be  more  suitable  for  public  assemblies; 
and  in  it,  almost  as  soon  as  supplied  with  sides 
and  roof,  a  union  Sunday-school  and  prayer-meet- 
ing were  inaugurated.  Those  were  indeed  days 
primeval  and  homespun.  Northfield  could  boast 
of  never  a  fence,  and  scarcely  of  a  completed  resi- 
dence; lath  and  plaster  were  conspicuous  by  their 
utter  absence,  while  cotton  cloth  easily  held  its 


THE  FIFTIES  7l 

own  without  a  rival  as  the  fashionable  finishing  for 
inside  walls  and  ceilings.  But  the  day  was  evi- 
dently drawing  near  for  the  organization  of  a 
church.  Occasionally  after  preaching,  Mr.  Barnes 
would  remain  for  a  day  or  two  to  visit  and  to  can- 
vass the  project,  and  finding  a  readiness  and  an 
eager  desire  on  the  part  of  a  considerable  number, 
began  to  make  arrangements  accordingly. 

Minnesota  was  still  in  territorial  condition,  and 
was  to  remain  thus  for  the  better  part  of  two  years. 
Eleven  churches  of  the  Pilgrim  faith  and  order 
were  already  in  existence,  of  which  six  were  formed 
during  the  earlier  months  of  this  year,  1856;  among 
them  Faribault  May  5,  Saratoga  July  28,  Cannon 
Falls  July  31,  and  Lake  City  August  8.  A  pre- 
liminary meeting  was  called  for  August  30,  with 
Superintendent  Hall  and  Rev.  Charles  Seccombe 
of  St.  Anthony  invited  to  be  present,  but  both 
were  unable  to  attend.  Only  two  clergymen  put 
in  an  appearance,  while  one  of  these,  Joseph  Peck- 
ham,  was  simply  a  sojourner  in  these  parts  for 
health's  sake;  and  no  delegates  at  all  from  neigh- 
boring churches  to  assist  and  give  the  right  hand 
of  fellowship.  So,  with  how  little  ecclesiastical 
flourish  and  eclat  was  the  organization  effected! 
Indeed,  if  the  deed  be  judged  by  the  strict  stand- 
ards even  of  Congregationalism,  but  slightly  so- 
licitous for  forms  and  ceremonies,  it  may  well  be 
doubted  whether  the  Northfield  church  was  ever 
legitimately  born  at  all!  But,  nevertheless,  with- 


72  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

out  doubt  also  the  action  taken  then  and  there  was 
eminently  wise  and  Christian  and  well  performed. 
One  was  verily  present  whose  unfailing  promise  is, 
"  Where  two  or  three  are  gathered  in  my  name, 
there  am  I."  Rough  boards  formed  the  floor  of 
the  half-finished  schoolhouse,  and  planks  not  a 
whit  smoother  or  softer,  placed  upon  saw-horses 
and  nail  kegs,  constituted  the  "  pews."  After  a 
sermon,  and  other  requisite  steps  taken,  a  mere 
handful  (but  the  seed  of  what  a  host),  eight  per- 
sons only,  five  men  and  three  women,  were  joined 
together  in  covenant  relations,  and  sat  down  to 
feast  at  the  Lord's  table.  What  slight  apprehen- 
sion had  those  eight  humble  disciples  of  the  mighty 
import  of  this  transaction! 

The  number  was  soon  increased  to  twelve.  Not 
a  little  consecration  and  courage  were  required 
to  take  this  first  decisive  step,  since  only  six  fami- 
lies were  represented  in  the  organization,  and  these 
quite  widely  scattered,  and  their  combined  financial 
resources  were  but  slight.  For  seven  years  the 
infant  church  was  generously  nourished  by  the 
Home  Missionary  Society,  that  indispensable 
alnw  mater  of  feeble  churches,  by  annual  sums 
varying  from  $450  the  first  year  to  $125  in  1862, 
forming  a  total  of  $1,550.  Within  a  month  the 
Baptists  organized,  with  the  Methodists  following 
after  a  year  or  two.  Mr.  Barnes  was  acting  pas- 
tor for  several  months,  but  late  in  the  autumn,  Rev. 
J.  S.  Rounce  came  into  the  region,  locating  upon 


THE  FIFTIES  73 

a  farm  some  four  miles  to  the  northwest  of  North- 
field,  and  in  March  in  1857  was  chosen  pastor.  At 
first  no  pledges  were  made  for  his  support,  but 
a  donation  was  given  him,  though  later  his  salary 
was  fixed  at  $500,  of  which  the  church  became  re- 
sponsible for  $200.  The  journey  was  made  on 
foot,  back  and  forth  between  his  home  and  his 
pulpit,  in  summer  and  winter,  by  day  and  by  night, 
though  sometimes,  in  emergencies,  resort  was  had 
to  his  oxen  for  transportation,  with  making  the 
trip  on  horseback  as  the  final  attainment.  During 
the  winter  of  1857-8  union  revival  services  were 
held  in  the  schoolhouse,  in  which  the  Methodist 
pastor  cooperated  heartily,  and  as  the  fruit  more 
than  forty  were  led  to  confess  Christ  openly,  with 
fourteen  uniting  with  the  Congregational  church. 
The  next  year  twenty  more  were  added.  But  in 
painful  and  ominous  contrast,  during  the  closing 
year  of  the  decade  only  one  new  name  appears 
upon  the  roll.  The  cause  of  this  phenomenal  fall- 
ing off  in  accessions  is  to  be  found  mainly  in  the 
financial  woes  which  had  befallen  the  state  and  the 
entire  country,  whereby  immigration  was  brought 
to  a  sudden  halt,  and  hard  times  became  universal. 
We  leave  the  church  in  the  midst  of  these  sore 
trials  and  tribulations,  to  take  up  its  further  ex- 
periences and  achievements  in  a  later  chapter. 


U  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 


"CHAPTER  III. 

THE  SIXTIES,    I. 

The  College  Founded. 

For  Minnesota  this  period  opened  in  the  midst 
of  discouragements  manifold  and  most  appalling. 
The  entire  state  was  in  the  feeble  and  chaotic  con- 
dition incident  to  days  primeval.  Throughout  the 
decade  the  northern  half  was  as  yet  unexplored,  the 
site  of  Duluth  was  an  untouched  forest,  and  of  the 
residue  the  western  third  was  without  a  white  in- 
habitant. On  account  of  the  current  financial  de- 
pression the  population  was  for  the  most  part  in 
straitened  circumstances.  As  already  suggested, 
just  before  the  attainment  of  statehood  wild  specu- 
lation was  universal,  and  in  particular  a  mania  for 
railroad  building  had  struck  this  remotest  North- 
west. An  amendment  to  the  constitution  was  voted 
authorizing  the  issue  of  $5,000,000  bonds  to  be 
loaned  in  aid  of  construction,  and  to  be  supplied 
as  the  work  progressed.  Four  companies,  the  Min- 
nesota Southern,  Minnesota  and  Pacific,  Minneap- 
olis and  Cedar  Valley,  and  Winona  Transit,  broke 
ground  vigorously  and  each  secured  $500,000  or 
more  of  bonds.  But  the  crash  then  coming,  work 
ceased,  interest  on  the  bonds  was  not  paid,  the  right 
to  further  aid  was  forfeited,  the  state  foreclosed  its 


THE  SIXTIES,  i  75 

mortgage  on  the  lands  and  franchises  of  the  com- 
panies, and  later  the  law  allowing  an  issue  of  bonds 
was  repealed.  Meantime  the  war  of  the  Rebellion 
had  ensued  to  add  greatly  to  the  confusion  and  dis- 
tress. Within  two  months  from  the  first  call  for 
troops  a  full  regiment  had  been  mustered  in,  ten 
regiments  by  August  of  the  next  year,  and  before 
the  return  of  peace  not  less  than  25,000  men  had 
entered  the  armies  of  the  Union,  or  about  one-sev- 
enth of  the  population  when  the  fighting  began,  all 
in  the  prime  of  life  and  including  a  large  proportion 
of  the  very  best.  Next,  to  add  immensely  to  the 
sorrow  and  calamity,  in  the  summer  of  1862  oc- 
curred the  dreadful  Sioux  outbreak  and  massacre, 
beginning  upon  the  upper  Minnesota,  but  soon 
spreading  far  and  wide  over  the  frontier ;  and  before 
the  savage  bands  had  finished  their  foray  more  than 
400  whites  had  been  murdered,  some  200  had  been 
captured,  18  counties  had  been  ravaged  and  depopu- 
lated, 30,000  had  been  made  homeless,  property  had 
been  destroyed  whose  value  was  estimated  at 
$3,000,000,  while  for  weeks  together  the  entire  pop- 
ulation had  been  panic-stricken.  And  finally,  as  if 
all  this  had  not  been  enough  of  woe,  for  several 
of  these  same  years  severe  droughts  befell,  and  vis- 
itations of  grasshoppers  destroyed  the  harvests  over 
large  areas.  In  order  to  appreciate  at  all  the  cour- 
age and  heroism  displayed  by  the  founders  of  Carle- 
ton  College,  it  is  necessary  to  recall  the  fact  that 
they  had  begun  to  discuss  and  plan  as  early  as  1864; 


76  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

and  in  1866  had  committed  themselves  to  the  great 
venture,  while  within  a  year  later,  teachers  and 
students  had  actually  begun  to  gather. 

Material  Development. — But  in  spite  of  these  mul- 
tiplied hindrances,  the  population  of  Minnesota  in- 
creased more  rapidly  than  that  of  any  of  its  neigh- 
bors, rising  from  172,023  at  the  opening  of  the  dec- 
ade to  439,706  at  its  close.  In  1867  no  less  than 
50,000  immigrants  entered  by  the  river  alone.  St. 
Paul  doubled  the  number  of  its  inhabitants,  enlarg- 
ing from  10,600  to  20,300,  while  Minneapolis, 
which  was  not  incorporated  as  a  city  until  1867, 
within  three  years  from  that  date  held  a  population 
of  18,079,  being  still  wholly  upon  the  west  side  of 
the  Mississippi.  After  a  number  of  years  of  in- 
action, railroad  building  began  again,  the  total  of  31 
miles  in  existence  in  1863  passing  the  i,ooo-mile 
mark  before  the  close  of  the  period;  one  line  even 
connecting  St.  Paul  with  Duluth.  The  Union  Pacific 
had  been  completed  in  1869,  and  as  a  project  the 
Northern  Pacific  was  becoming  famous.  Best  of 
all,  by  this  time  the  discovery  had  been  made  that 
the  chief  source  of  wealth  for  the  Northwest  lay 
in  the  soil  and  the  production  of  grain.  Conse- 
quently, the  acreage  of  a  paltry  15,000  under  culti- 
vation in  1854  had  become  434,000  six  years  later, 
and  1,725,100  ten  years  later  still.  Of  wheat  alone 
2,186,073  bushels  were  produced  in  1860,  but 
18,866,073  bushels  in  1870,  and  the  state  ranked 


THE  SIXTIES,  i  77 

fifth  in  the  Union  as  a  source  of  supply  for  this 
prime  cereal. 

The  Congregational  Churches. — During  this 
period  the  denomination  at  large  was  steadily  com- 
ing to  self-consciousness,  to  an  adequate  apprehen- 
sion of  the  import  of  its  high  mission,  and  was 
gathering  forces  and  fashioning  instrumentalities  for 
united  and  vigorous  forward  movements.  Two  im- 
portant steps  of  progress  had  already  been  taken,  at 
the  Michigan  City  Convention  in  1846,  and  a  much 
greater  one  six  years  later  at  the  Albany  Conven- 
tion, with  its  emphatic  repudiation  of  the  Plan  of 
Union,  and  the  organization  of  a  Church  Building 
Society  possessed  at  the  outset  of  $50,000  among  the 
results.  But  both  of  those  assemblages  were  to  be 
outdone  by  the  famous  "National  Council  of  Con- 
gregational Churches,"  held  in  Boston,  June  14-24, 
1865,  which  on  the  22d  visited  Plymouth,  and 
adopted,  with  only  one  dissenting  vote,  the  "Burial 
Hill  Declaration  of  Faith."  Among  the  active  par- 
ticipants in  this  historic  council  were  several  mem- 
bers from  Minnesota,  the  results  of  whose  pioneer 
labors  in  missionary  and  educational  efforts,  ines- 
timable in  value,  are  to  be  partly  set  forth  in  these 
pages.  They  were  Revs.  Edward  Brown,  David 
Burt,  Richard  Hall,  A.  K.  Packard,  Charles  C. 
Salter,  Charles  Seccombe,  Charles  Shedd,  James  W. 
Strong  and  Edwin  S.  Williams. 

By  the  Triennial  Councils  of  which  the  first  was 
held  in  Oberlin,  in  1871,  a  system  of  the  broadest 


78  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

fellowship  was  secured.  It  somehow  happened  that 
this  decade,  in  which  Carleton  began  to  be,  also 
gave  birth  to  a  greater  number  of  colleges  than  any 
other  in  the  century;  eleven  in  all,  and  what  a 
goodly  list  of  names :  Wheaton,  Berea,  Washburn, 
Tabor,  Carleton,  Fisk,  Howard,  Talladega,  Straight, 
Atlanta  and  Tougaloo.  Only  three  date  from  the 
decade  before,  and  but  five  from  the  one  following. 
Perhaps  Ripon  should  be  added  to  the  list,  which 
did  no  college  work  until  1863,  and  Olivet  also 
which  had  no  charter  until  1859. 

As  to  the  Minnesota  churches,  in  the  autumn  of 
1860  it  was  reported  that  they  numbered  47  all  told, 
of  which  10  had  been  organized  within  a  twelve- 
month, with  an  average  membership  of  only  28. 
Only  about  a  dozen  were  possessed  of  sanctuaries; 
while  two-thirds  worshiped  in  schoolhouses,  halls, 
etc.  Of  the  30  ministers  all  but  two  or  three  received 
from  the  Home  Missionary  Society  a  portion  of 
their  support.  As  indicating  the  darkness  of  those 
days  of  deadly  life-struggle  in  the  nation,  coupled 
with  conflagration  and  massacre  from  savages  at 
their  very  doors,  we  note  that  but  one  church  was 
organized  in  1861 ;  the  next  year  witnessed  an 
actual  falling  off  of  three,  of  two  more  the  next 
year,  with  a  diminution  also  in  the  total  member- 
ship. Reading  between  the  lines,  in  these  two  addi- 
tipnal  statements  we  have  impressive  hints  relating 
to  the  religious  situation.  Mr.  Hall  writes  in  1863 
that  "Faribault  has  the  only  self-supporting  Con- 


THE  SIXTIES,  1  79 

gregational  church  in  the  state.  Its  pastor  has  be- 
come an  army  chaplain,  and  with  his  eldest  son  is 
in  camp.  The  deacons  and  several  of  the  members 
have  gone  to  the  war,  so  that  hardly  enough  remain 
to  sustain  the  weekly  prayer-meeting."  Owatonna 
was  "blessed"  with  seven  church  organizations, 
none  of  them  strong  enough  to  build.  In  1868  this 
church  had  attained  to  a  house  of  worship,  having 
hitherto  and  for  nine  years  occupied  a  schoolhouse. 
At  the  date  last  given  Alexandria  was  reported, 
"just  occupied  by  a  missionary,  and  constitutes  the 
extreme  frontier."  Sauk  Center  was  then  the  church 
located  furthest  towards  the  north  and  west. 

Northfield  and  Its  Church. — Of  course  it  could 
not  be  other  than  that  both  the  community  and  its 
chief  religious  organization  shared  to  the  full  the  dis- 
tractions and  discouragements  which  marked  the  first 
half  of  the  period  under  view;  like  the  financial  de- 
pression, the  war,  and  the  terrors  attending  the  In- 
dian outbreak,  and  the  massacres  in  the  valley  of  the 
Minnesota  river.  Though  quite  remote  from  the 
frontier  and  the  center  of  disturbance,  yet  not  a 
few  families  passed  through  the  village  in  their 
frantic  flight  from  real  or  imagined  peril  of  the 
tomahawk  and  scalping  knife;  and  more  than  once 
the  more  timid  half  were  on  the  point  of  departure 
in  hot  haste  at  the  imagined  yells  of  the  blood- 
thirsty Sioux  heard  in  the  depths  of  the  Big  Woods. 
However,  by  the  time  of  Lee's  surrender,  hope  and 
courage  had  returned ;  with  new  families  also  estab- 


80  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

lishing  homes,  both  in  the  village  and  upon  the  open 
prairie  lying  adjacent.  Mention  has  already  been 
made  of  the  early  improvement  of  the  water-power 
here  existing  in  the  Cannon  river,  by  the  construc- 
tion of  a  mill  upon  either  side  of  the  stream,  of  a 
hotel  with  imposing  proportions,  and  of  a  school- 
house  as  well.  This  latter  structure,  though  for  a 
season  adequate  to  meet  all  requirements,  whether 
as  a  training  place  for  youth  or  for  religious  and 
other  public  assemblies,  at  length  was  found  to  be 
altogether  outgrown,  and  therefore  in  1861  a  much 
larger  and  better  one  costing  $6,000  took  its  place. 
It  was  a  day  of  exultation  when  in  the  summer  of 
1865  the  first  locomotive  made  its  advent  into  the 
valley  of  the  upper  Cannon,  and  the  first  train  from 
St.  Paul  pulled  up  to  the  Northfield  station,  thus 
affording  easy  contact  and  communication  with  the 
great  world  outside.  This  event  also  had  not  a 
little  to  do  with  securing  within  a  twelve-month  the 
location  of  the  college  at  this  point.  Three  thrilling 
and  momentous  years  stand  together  here,  both  for 
the  community  and  the  entire  region,  marking  re- 
spectively the  completion  of  the  railroad,  the  vote 
of  the  State  Association,  and  the  opening  of  the 
school,  with  the  middle  year  as  annus  mirabilis.  By 
the  operation  of  these  and  other  forms  of  stimulus, 
such  an  impetus  was  given  to  settlement  that  by 
1867  a  population  of  some  1,500  was  found  gath- 
ered at  this  point. 
To  the  church  came  its  full  share  of  depression. 


THE  SIXTIES,  i  81 

The  year  the  decade  opened  thirteen  were  received 
to  membership,  and  at  the  beginning  of  March, 
forty-seven  in  all  had  been  enrolled ;  but  four  of  these 
soon  took  letters  and  removed,  so  that  after  nearly 
four  years  of  toil  and  trial,  only  some  two-score 
could  be  counted.  And  then,  as  if  still  further  to 
test  the  faith  and  patience  of  this  little  company  of 
saints,  thirteen  of  their  number,  including  moreover 
some  of  the  most  liberal  givers  and  most  efficient 
workers,  deemed  it  right  and  wise  to  withdraw  and 
organize  a  church  some  two  miles  to  the  north.  And 
to  cap  the  climax,  the  gloomy  days  of  secession 
and  rebellion  soon  succeeded,  several  were  called 
away  to  the  battle  front,  while  the  minds  and  hearts 
of  all  were  sorely  oppressed,  and  turned  away  from 
the  contemplation  of  things  spiritual.  No  vision 
appeared  as  yet  even  in  faintest  foregleam  of  good 
things  in  store,  of  prosperous  and  exalted  days  to 
come.  Nevertheless,  unappalled  and  not  despondent, 
those  brave  souls  resolutely  prayed  on  and  struggled 
on,  waiting  for  the  day.  They  even  possessed  not 
only  enduring  faith,  but  also  faith  venturesome  and 
aggressive.  As  evidence,  after  worshiping  for 
five  years  in  the  schoolhouse,  or  else  in  a  building 
owned  by  another  denomination,  to  some  it  now 
seemed  to  be  high  time  to  provide  a  sanctuary  of 
their  own.  Therefore  in  the  summer  of  1861  (the 
dark  days  of  Bull  Run  fight  and  stampede)  Mr. 
Rounce  entered  upon  a  canvass  for  funds,  nor 
ceased  until  the  pledges  amounted  to  a  round  $1,100, 


82  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

a  sum  wonderfully  large  for  the  Northfield  of  that 
time,  and  representing  far  more  of  self-denial  and 
sacrifice  than  any  their  successors  have  endured 
in  the  furtherance  of  any  similar  object  since  that 
day.  The  pastor  set  the  example  by  being  early  on 
hand  with  his  oxen  to  haul  stone  for  the  foundation. 
Subscriptions,  liberal  at  first,  in  more  than  one  case 
were  more  than  doubled,  and  then  still  further  in- 
creased. One  brother,  Deacon  Allen  N.  Nourse,  in 
pressing  need  of  a  barn  which  he  had  purposed 
building  that  year,  postponed  the  project  that  the 
Lord's  house  might  be  reared.* 

In  September  Mr.  Rounce  wrote  thus  to  the 
"Home  Missionary":  "My  mind  and  time  have 
been  very  much  occupied  in  raising  funds  to  erect 

*  Deacon  Nourse,  wh'ose  life  covered  more  than  seventy- 
eight  years,  illustrated  the  abiding  power  for  good  in  any 
community,  of  a  character  modest,  cultured,  unselfish  and 
thoroughly  Christian.  He  was  born  in  Rockingham,  Vt., 
Feb.  19,  1811,  married  in  Michigan  in  1846,  came  to  Anoka, 
Minn.,  in  1853  and  three  years  later  to  Northfield,  where 
he  was  one  of  the  eight  original  members  of  the  Congre- 
gational church,  and  where,  after  thirty-three  years  of  quiet 
industry,  he  died  March  29,  1889.  He  was  a  great  reader, 
a  careful  observer  and  an  accurate  thinker.  Directness,  sim- 
plicity and  integrity  marked  all  his  transactions'.  Of  his 
inner  life  he  seldom  spoke,  but  the  purity  and  nobility  of  his 
life  and  character  were  manifest  to  all.  From  the  first  he 
was  one  of  the  strongest  friends  of  the  college,  to  which  he 
deeded  his  farm,  now  a  part  of  the  campus,  receiving  there- 
for a  life-annuity  for  himself  and  wife.  Mrs.  Nourse  sub- 
sequently gave  a  thousand  dollars  toward  a  library  fund,  and 
a  small  farm  near  the  city.  For  a  score  of  years  one  or 
more  students  found  with  them  a  home  in  what  is  now 
known  as1  the  "Nourse  Cottage,"  and  many  of  these  thank- 
fully remember  the  sympathy,  counsel  and  aid  there  re- 
ceived. Their  memory  is'  blessed  and  their  works  do  follow 
them. 


THE  SIXTIES,  i  83 

in  this  place  a  Congregational  church,  which  is  very 
much  needed.  Some  months  ago  a  meeting  was  con- 
vened to  take  the  matter  into  consideration,  and  to 
adopt  some  plan  for  its  accomplishment.  We  then 
decided  that  it  would  be  better  for  us  to  secure  a 
good  building  lot,  and  then  to  put  up  such  a  house 
as  would  answer  our  purpose  for  three  or  four  years, 
costing  about  $500,  than  to  go  beyond  what  we 
supposed  to  be  our  present  means  in  building  a 
more  expensive  house.  A  few  days  after  this  I 
started  out  with  a  subscription  paper  for  the  pur- 
pose of  securing  money  for  said  object;  and  I  feel 
thankful  in  being  able  to  say  that  I  succeeded  above 
all  our  expectations :  so  much  so,  indeed,  that  in 
the  course  of  a  few  weeks,  instead  of  having  only 
the  $500  subscribed,  we  had  $1,000.  This  induced 
us  to  change  our  plan,  and  decide  to  erect  such  a 
place  of  worship  as  will  cost  us  from  $1,100  to 
$1,200.  Blessed  be  the  Lord  who  has  thus  pros- 
pered us.  And  may  the  contemplated  church  not 
only  be  dedicated  to  His  service,  but  also  the  wor- 
shipers in  it  ever  be  favored  with  His  special  pres- 
ence and  gracious  communications."  And  so  it  was 
that  by  February  of  1862  the  first  section,  or  in- 
stallment, of  the  "Old  Brown  Church"  of  later  days, 
only  24  feet  by  40,  as  plain  as  plain  could  possibly 
be,  with  a  gallery  most  fearfully  and  wonderfully 
made  over  the  vestibule,  was  ready  for  dedication. 
Within  a  few  months,  by  various  feminine  devices, 
money  enough  had  been  gathered  for  the  purchase 


84  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

of  lamps,  curtains,  communion-set,  and  a  $90  melo- 
deon.  Here  it  was  that  for  thirteen  long  years  the 
congregation,  college  faculty  and  students  included, 
assembled  for  Sabbath  worship,  though  successive 
enlargements  were  made  to  meet  increased  attend- 
ance, of  which  mention  will  be  made  further  on. 
About  a  year  afterwards,  Mr.  Rounce  resigned  his 
pastorate,  having  won  the  lasting  esteem  and  af- 
fection of  all,  leaving  his  flock  without  a  shepherd 
for  several  months,  though  upon  alternate  Sundays 
the  pulpit  was  supplied  by  the  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
church,  he  preaching  thus  to  an  audience  composed 
of  the  two  congregations. 

The  College  Discussed. — We  come  now  to  1864, 
a  year  of  destiny  indeed,  for  as  it  seems,  at  least  to 
human  gaze,  if  certain  events  belonging  to  it  had 
not  occurred,  Carleton  College  had  never  been,  or  at 
least  Northfield's  privilege  and  responsibility  in  con- 
nection with  it  had  been  of  a  character  entirely  dif- 
ferent. As  stated  in  the  chapter  preceding,  in  1858 
Charles  M.  Goodsell  had  written  from  Illinois  stat- 
ing his  purpose  to  migrate  to  Minnesota  the  next 
year,  and  to  locate  in  some  community  seemingly 
most  suitable  for  a  Christian  college,  and  after  a 
somewhat  extensive  investigation,  had  selected 
Northfield  as  a  residence  and  had  removed  his  fam- 
ily thither.  Since  then  he  had  been  watching,  pray- 
ing and  planning  with  all  his  might  for  such  an  in- 
stitution, waiting  for  the  hour  to  strike;  his  ambi- 
tion and  zeal  ardently  Christian  through  and 


THE  SIXTIES,  i  85 

through.  Let  Rev.  Austin  Willey,  a  fellow-towns- 
man and  competent  witness,  give  us  an  insight  into 
his  spirit  and  method  ,of  work :  "Here  he  moved  his 
family  and  property,  built  a  house,  purchased  land 
for  a  college-site,  joined  the  small  church,  and  went 
to  work  to  build  up  a  church  and  society  such  as  his 
great  enterprise  required.  But  the  times  were  hard, 
and  the  war  was  soon  upon  us.  He  must  wait,  but 
never  lost  sight  of  his  great  object.  He  lived  with 
careful  economy,  to  save,  as  he  said,  for  the  college. 
He  labored  to  increase  the  interest  of  the  church  and 
people  in  his  project.  His  ideal  was  to  make  an- 
other Oberlin,  undenominational,  but  filled  with  the 
Spirif.  But  for  this  there  must  be  a  revival  of  re- 
ligion in  Northfield.  Here  his  heart  centered  in 
labor  and  prayer.  He  spent  one  whole  night  in 
supplication,  with  the  spirit  of  Jacob :  'I  will  not  let 
thee  go,  except  thou  bless  me.'  And  it  was  not 
long  before  an  evangelist  was  sent.  A  new  day  had 
come.  The  Holy  Spirit  descended  with  power  from 
on  high,  and  many  were  converted.  'Now/  said  he, 
'the  time  has  come  to  start  this  college' ;  and  he  went 
to  work  to  prepare  the  subject  to  be  laid  before  the 
next  state  conference  of  Congregational  churches." 
The  reference  in  the  closing  sentences  is  to  the 
following  capital  incident  in  the  history  of  the 
Northfield  church.  After  the  departure  of  Mr. 
Rounce,  and  largely  through  the  influence  of  Mr. 
Goodsell,  in  January  of  1864  the  evangelist,  Rev. 
H.  H.  Morgan,  was  invited  to  become  quasi-pastor 


86  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

for  the  time,  and  presently  commenced  holding  re- 
vival services,  continuing  them  for  the  better  part 
of  two  months,  with  the  result  that  the  entire  com- 
munity, and  the  region  around  about,  was  stirred 
tremendously,  even  to  numerous  conversions,  these 
occurring  almost  wholly  among  adults.  Then,  dur- 
ing the  summer  ensuing,  a  fresh  impulse  was  given 
to  this  most  significant  work  of  grace,  through  some 
days  of  preaching  by  Rev.  E.  P.  Hammond,  whose 
success  was  confined  with  few  exceptions  to  chil- 
dren and  youth.  Ere  long,  as  a  portion  of  the 
ingathering,  40  were  received  to  church  member- 
ship at  one  time;  including  the  13  who  four  years 
before  had  left  to  set  up  for  themselves,  and  now, 
having  disbanded,  returned  to  their  former  fellow- 
ship. By  the  end  of  this  notable  year,  92  in  all  had 
united  with  the  church ;  68  of  them  on  confession, 
thus  increasing  the  number  of  members  from  42  to 
130,  or  more  than  three-fold.  A  glorious  and  blessed 
harvest  season!  How  exceedingly  timely,  too,  it 
was,  since  agitation  for  a  college  had  begun  again, 
which  almost  immediately  was  destined  to  lead  to 
the  beginning  of  definite  and  decisive  action. 
Though  without  knowing  it,  the  Northfield  church 
was  preparing  herself  to  welcome  and  cherish  the 
resulting  school  of  Christian  learning;  to  bestow 
much  but  to  receive  manifold  more. 

Grateful  for  generous  aid  never  failing  hitherto, 
no  further  gifts  were  sought  from  the  treasury  of 
the  Home  Missionary  Society.  It  was  also  just 


THE  SIXTIES,  i  87 

now,  while  the  exhilaration  of  the  great  awakening 
was  yet  present,  that  early  in  April  a  call  to  the 
pastorate  was  extended  to  Rev.  Edwin  S.  Williams, 
the  "boy  preacher"  from  Oberlin,  who  proved  so 
abundant  in  enthusiasm  and  all  manner  of  good 
works;  and  about  two  months  afterwards  he  was 
ordained  at  the  hands  of  the  church.  In  October 
the  state  conference  appointed  a  committee,  with 
Mr.  Goodsell  as  chairman,  to  investigate  and  report 
if  the  time  had  come  to  found  a  college.  By  the 
spring  of  1865  it  was  found  that  the  sanctuary 
could  not  contain  the  throng  of  worshipers,  and  so 
twenty  feet  were  added  at  the  rear,  with  an  east 
wing  following  after  two  years,  and  a  west  wing 
also  about  twelve  months  later  still.  This  final  en- 
largement came  in  1868,  and  the  second  had  oc- 
curred about  the  time  the  first  students  put  in  an 
appearance.  In  all  these  building  operations,  from 
first  to  last,  Mr.  Goodsell  shared  and  took  a  prom- 
inent part,  both  by  generous  contributions  and  by 
personal  supervision  while  the  work  was  in  prog- 
ress, being  the  real  superintendent  of  construction 
while  the  second  wing  was  under  way;  and  this 
though  his  health  was  now  steadily  failing.  In 
May  of  1869  he  died,  after  seeing  but  a  feeble  be- 
ginning made  for  the  institution  of  which  for  more 
than  ten  years  he  had  dreamed,  upon  which  his  deep- 
est and  holiest  desires  had  been  fastened,  but  which 
in  his  closing  days  seemed  to  him,  and  to  many 
others,  to  be  almost  certainly  doomed  to  remediless 


88  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

catastrophe.  Before  the  opening  year  of  the  next 
decade  was  far  advanced,  after  six  years  of  untir- 
ing and  enthusiastic  service,  Mr.  Williams  resigned 
and  removed  to  another  field.*  At  his  coming  the 
church  had  just  100  members;  at  his  departure  it 
had  grown  to  216.  He  had  received  120  to  fellow- 
ship, of  whom  101  had  joined  upon  confession  of 
faith. 

Founding  of  the  College. — In  the  chapter  preced- 
ing, the  details  were  given  of  the  first  and  unsuc- 
cessful attempt  to  organize  an  institution  of  learn- 
ing, which  failed  through  a  combination  of  adverse 
circumstances.  Mr.  Hall  was  manifestly  correct  in 
the  judgment  expressed  in  a  letter  written  to  Mr. 
Goodsell  in  1858  that  "the  time  was  not  yet  come 
for  the  founding  of  a  college."  And  the  better  part 
of  a  decade  was  destined  to  pass  before  a  renewal 
of  agitation  appeared  to  be  advisable.  Of  course  the 
idea  and  the  desire  remained  undiminished ;  the 
earnest-hearted  were  only  waiting  for  the  fulness 
of  times  to  dawn.  No  doubt  also,  the  discussion 
and  investigation  of  the  fifties  gave  an  impulse 
which  was  permanent,  and  in  no  slight  degree  helped 
the  second  endeavor  on  to  success.  Here  was  a 
population  Congregational  to  a  phenomenal  extent, 
including  a  score  or  two  of  choice  ministers  born 
and  educated  in  New  England ;  and  associated  with 


*  Though'  for  many  years  resident  in  another  state,  the 
cheering  power  of  his  genial  personality  still  abides,  and  he 
is  even  yet  referred  to  as  "Everlasting  Sunshine  Williams." 


THE  SIXTIES,  i  89 

them  some  hundreds  of  laymen  as  eager  as  they  for 
Christian  education.  All  these  could  hold  on  and 
wait  with  patience,  but  knew  not  how  to  be  turned 
aside  or  baffled  when  the  signal  appeared  to  go 
forward.  It  is  true  that  even  yet  distinguished  faith 
and  heroism  were  required.  For  in  1864  the  Min- 
nesota churches  numbered  but  59,  with  a  member- 
ship of  only  1,946,  an  average  of  33  members  to 
each ;  only  three  having  more  than  a  hundred  mem- 
bers (Minneapolis  151,  Northfield  123,  Faribault 
101)  ;  with  less  than  a  score  of  them  worshiping  in 
completed  sanctuaries.  Almost  all  were  still  aided 
by  the  Home  Missionary  Society,  receiving  $9,000 
annually,  while  raising  for  themselves  only  $8,200, 
an  average  of  $175  each.  In  those  remote  days  this 
region  constituted  the  extreme  Northwest,  with  not 
a  sign  of  civilization  beyond,  except  a  slight  fringe 
of  settlements  upon  the  Pacific  coast.  The  first 
church  in  South  Dakota  was  organized  in  1868,  and 
the  first  in  North  Dakota  at  Fargo,  not  until  1881. 
As  we  saw,  it  was  in  1860,  after  several  years  of 
earnest  questioning,  that  the  matter  of  entering  im- 
mediately upon  the  serious  task  of  planting  a  col- 
lege was  finally  laid  upon  the  table,  until  circum- 
stances should  become  more  propitious.  For  four 
years  no  effort  appears  to  have  been  made  to  renew 
the  discussion.  Meantime  the  Rebellion  had  been 
running  its  momentous  course.  The  Sioux  outbreak 
had  wrought  its  horrors  and  desolations  only  two 
years  before.  Grant  was  now  south  of  the  James 


90        HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

hammering  away  at  the  defenses  of  Petersburg; 
and  Sherman  was  laying  siege  to  Atlanta,  with 
Hood  making  ready  for  a  movement  northward  to 
cut  his  communications.  The  re-beginning  of  agi- 
tation, destined  also  to  end  in  vigorous  favorable 
action,  was  quite  remarkable  in  more  ways  than 
one.  We  are  able  to  trace  at  least  three  distinct  lines 
of  influence,  which  curiously  converged  and  co- 
operated to  produce  the  first  definite  ecclesiastical 
action  looking  to  the  founding  of  a  school  of  higher 
learning.  Or,  three  groups  of  individuals,  without 
the  least  previous  consultation,  no  one  knowing 
what  the  others  had  on  their  minds  to  propose,  came 
to  a  gathering  of  ministers  and  delegates  repre- 
senting the  churches,  with  a  full-formed  purpose  to 
present  what  proved  to  be  to  all  intents  the  same 
proposition.  What  could  it  have  been  but  the  same 
Spirit  working  alike  upon  all !  To  begin  with,  what 
is  most  important,  because  most  abundantly  fruitful 
in  good  results,  there  was  the  desire  and  endeavor 
of  Mr.  Goodsell  of  long  standing,  but  strengthened 
and  directed  by  the  recent  great  revival  in  North- 
field  of  which  Mr.  Willey  has  told  us.  He  had 
said:  "The  time  has  arrived  to  start  the  college"; 
"and  he  went  to  work  to  prepare  the  subject  to  lay 
before  the  state  conference.  The  churches  must  take 
it  up.  He  had  the  full  support  of  the  Northfield 
church  and  community,  and  went  as  delegate  to  the 
conference,  laid  the  whole  subject  before  that  body, 
and  asked  its  adoption."  In  exact  keeping  with 


THE  SIXTIES,  i  91 

these  statements,  so  far  as  the  two  are  parallel,  is 
the  testimony  of  Rev.  Richard  Hall,  who  also  knows 
whereof  he  affirms ;  and  the  incident  is  so  significant 
as  to  well  merit  a  two-fold  presentation,  though  at 
the  cost  of  a  little  repetition.  "Mr.  Goodsell  joined 
the  Northfield  church,  and  for  five  years  labored 
assiduously  for  its  welfare,  with  the  evident  aim  of 
making  the  predominant  influence  of  the  town  so 
decidedly  Christian  that  it  might  become  a  suitable 
home  for  a  Christian  college.  In  that  time  the 
church  had  grown  from  a  membership  of  45  to  128. 
He  was  sent  as  a  delegate  to  the  conference  at  Roch- 
ester, where  he  was  chosen  moderator.  Here  he 
made  his  next  move,  and  the  first  move  that  was 
made  in  the  state  looking  to  the  establishment  of  a 
college  to  be  founded  and  managed  by  the  Congre- 
gational churches  of  the  state.  At  his  suggestion, 
and  by  his  request,  a  committee  was  appointed  to 
investigate  and  report  at  the  next  meeting." 

But  Mr.  Goodsell,  though  without  doubt  by  far 
the  most  potent  of  any  individual  force  engaged, 
was  by  no  means  the  only  one  who  had  reached  the 
conclusion  that  the  set  time  to  make  ready  to  build 
for  Christian  education  had  come.  As  the  second 
factor  in  the  movement  about  to  be  inaugurated, 
Rev.  Edward  Brown  is  to  be  named ;  the  author  of 
the  following  communication,  bearing  the  date  Sep- 
tember 15,  1879,  whose  opportunities  for  knowing 
the  facts  will  appear  in  his  narrative:  "I  went  to 
Minnesota  in  August  of  1864.  Like  some  others  I 


92  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

had  some  symptoms  of  'college  on  the  brain,'  more 
in  my  day-dreams  than  I  ever  dared  to  tell ;  dreams 
that  have  been  more  than  realized  by  what  Carleton 
College  has  achieved  in  fourteen  years.  On  my 
arrival  and  settlement  at  Zumbrota,  I  learned  that 
a  college  was  a  part  of  the  original  plan  of  the  col- 
ony that  first  settled  there  (with  the  credit  probably 
largely  due  to  Father  Shedd).  I  talked  with  Messrs. 
Stearns,  Thompson,  Kellogg,  and  Thatcher  in  re- 
gard to  bringing  it  before  the  conference  at  Roch- 
ester in  October.  On  the  way  there  we  talked  and 
planned  in  regard  to  making  a  move  in  that  direc- 
tion. On  the  first  morning  [note  that  here  comes 
in  the  third  line  of  converging  influences],  Rev. 
David  Burt,  then  pastor  at  Winona,  came  to  me  and 
said :  'Mr.  Brown,  don't  you  think  the  time  has 
come  for  our  denomination  to  make  a  move  towards 
founding  a  college  in  the  state?'  I  replied:  'I  do, 
and  our  delegate  and  I  have  planned  to  bring  it  up.' 
He  then  said:  'Will  you  draw  up  the  resolution?' 
I  drew  up  the  one  to  be  found  in  the  Minutes.  Mr. 
Burt  presented  it  and  I  seconded  it,  each  also  making 
a  short  speech  in  favor  of  action.  We  were  fol- 
lowed, if  I  recollect  aright,  by  Messrs.  Hall  and 
Seccombe,  also  in  favor  of  action ;  and  it  appeared 
that  they  had  been  in  conference  with  Mr.  Goodsell, 
and  had  come  with  the  intention  to  move  for  action 
in  that  direction.  Mr.  Goodsell  then  made  some 
remarks,  telling  us  that  the  founding  of  a  college 
had  been  a  part  of  his  plan  in  coming  to  Minnesota 


THE  SIXTIES,  i  93 

and  locating  in  Northfield ;  and  if  such  an  institution 
was  planted  there,  he  should  do  something  liberal 
towards  it.  His  speech  was  short  and  modest,  and 
urged  no  action.  He  only  gave  his  views,  provided 
we  should  act.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  ma- 
ture a  plan  and  present  it  at  the  next  conference, 
with  Mr.  Goodsell  as  chairman."  According  to  the 
Minutes,  the  action  was  as  follows:  "Resolved, 
That  a  committee  of  laymen  be  raised  to  inquire 
what  can  be  done  towards  founding  a  college  in 
this  state  for  our  denomination,  and  to  report  to 
the  conference  next  year."  The  committee  consisted 
of  C.  M.  Goodsell,  Northfield;  R.  Whitney,  Roches- 
ter; R.  J.  Baldwin,  Minneapolis;  I.  C.  Stearns, 
Zumbrota;  and  S.  J.  Smith,  Winona. 

It  may  not  be  amiss  to  allude  to  a  curious,  but  un- 
important, contradiction  in  the  testimony  at  a  single 
point,  and  though  almost  certainly  beyond  a  perad- 
venture  the  substance  of  the  historic  fact  has  already 
been  presented.  Mr.  Willey,  who  supplies  some 
items  of  history  of  prime  interest  and  value,  states 
the  solemn  conviction  that  Mr.  Goodsell  went  home 
from  Rochester  greatly  surprised  and  bitterly  dis- 
appointed, at  the  reception  received  by  his  darling 
project ;  and  that  no  more  was  done.  His  language 
is :  "He  confidently  expected  that  the  work,  so  im- 
portant and  so  well  begun,  would  be  endorsed  as 
with  one  voice.  But  to  his  surprise,  it  found  little 
support,  and  was  almost  unanimously  rejected.  All 
thought  it  wise  to  establish  such  an  institution  when 


94  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

the  right  time  came,  but  that  time  was  not  yet. 
Consent  was  given,  however,  to  appoint  a  committee 
of  laymen,  no  ministers  consenting  to  be  members, 
to  make  further  inquiry  concerning  location,  funds, 
etc.  He  was  sa'dly  disappointed  and  not  a  little  dis- 
couraged after  all  he  had  done,  but  kept  his  faith." 
But  over  against  these  positive  statements,  Mr.  Hall 
is  of  the  decided  opinion  that  "Mr.  Goodsell  really 
got  all  that  he  asked,  the  appointment  of  a  commit- 
tee, and  suffered  no  disappointment  at  that  confer- 
ence." Mr.  Brown  is  also  certain  that  Mr.  Goodsell 
urged  no  action.  Not  a  word  was  said  discouraging 
immediate  action.  In  like  manner  as  to  the  com- 
mittee, Mr.  Brown  roundly  and  most  specifically  de- 
clares: "Mr.  Burt  and  I  agreed  upon  the  plan  of 
having  a  committee  of  five  well  known  business- 
men to  take  the  matter  into  consideration,  and  it  was 
selected  by  ourselves."  Such  testimony  is  hard  to 
gainsay. 

Nothing  whatever  seems  to  have  been  done  dur- 
ing the  year  ensuing  to  further  the  college  project ; 
at  least,  whatever  activity  existed  was  wielded  by 
Mr.  Goodsell,  and  was  confined  to  Northfield.  The 
committee  chosen  at  Rochester  held  no  meeting  and 
had  no  conference  through  correspondence;  a  fact 
for  which  no  reason  can  be  assigned.  Mr.  Brown 
says :  "Just  before  the  next  conference  I  inquired  of 
the  member  of  the  committee  who  resided  at  Zum- 
brota,  as  to  what  had  been  done,  and  he  informed  me 
that  he  had  received  no  notice  from  the  chairman  of 


THE  SIXTIES,  i  95 

any  meeting."  In  making  his  report  Mr.  Goodsell 
closed  by  saying :  "I  have  not  had  any  report  from 
the  other  members  of  the  committee."  According  to 
Mr.  Hall,  these  were  the  essential  facts  in  the  case: 
"The  other  members  found  nothing  during  the  year 
to  encourage  the  movement,  and  so  had  no  com- 
munication with  him.  He  therefore,  as  chairman, 
reported  on  his  own  responsibility,  without  any 
word  from  the  other  four  members."  But,  evi- 
dently, "the  project  broached  at  Rochester  was  not 
forgotten  nor  neglected  by  the  chairman.  No  doubt 
both  heart  and  brain  were  kept  busy  preparing  for 
the  next  step  in  advance.  Mr.  Willey  has  told  us 
with  what  wonderful  wisdom  and  fervor  Mr.  Good- 
sell  for  years  had  sought  to  make  Northfield  fit,  on 
the  spiritual  side,  to  supply  a  home  for  the  school, 
but  he  was  also  sagacious  enough  to  perceive  that, 
in  order  to  secure  its  location  upon  the  site  he  had 
in  his  mind's  eye,  some  most  vigorous  financial 
planning  and  pushing  would  be  necessary;  since 
the  locality  which  put  in  the  best  bid  in  cash  and 
land  was  most  likely  to  be  chosen.  We  cannot  but 
note  how,  all  along,  from  first  to  last,  his  generalship 
was  of  the  finest  type.  In  particular,  the  strategy 
just  now,  in  order  to  give  point  and  pungency  to  his 
report  soon  due,  is  truly  admirable.  It  is  repro- 
duced for  us  in  a  most  valuable  paper,  prepared  by 
Hiram  Scriver,*  at  the  special  request  of  President 


*  Hiram  Scriver,  one  of  the  pioneers,  was  born  in  Hem- 
mingford,  Can.,  April  21,  1830.     He  came  to  Northfield  in 


96  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

Strong,  as  far  back  as  1873,  entitled,  "Incidents  in 
the  Early  History  of  Carleton  College,"  from  which 
here  and  upon  later  pages  liberal  quotations  will  be 
found.  Going  back  to  the  beginning  of  things,  he 
says : 

"The  subject  of  establishing  an  institution  of 
learning  was  first  heard  of  in  Northfield  through  a 
rumor  that  C.  M.  Goodsell,  who  was  then  a  tem- 
porary resident,  had  broached  the  subject  to  J.  W. 
North,  our  town  proprietor,  always  active  in  such 
enterprises,  who  fell  in  with  the  project,  and  seemed 
anxious  to  forward  Mr.  Goodsell's  plans.  The  next 
move  was  made  in  that  direction  after  Mr.  Goodsell 
had  been  a  resident  of  the  village  for  some  time, 
and  by  his  canvassing  a  little  with  some  of  the  citi- 
zens who  he  expected  would  be  interested,  gauging 
their  probable  liberality,  telling  something  of  his 
desires  and  hopes,  and  finally  calling  an  informal 
meeting  at  the  lyceum  building.  Some  twenty-five 
or  thirty  assembled,  and  to  them  he  entered  more 
fully  into  the  details  of  his  cherished  project,  un- 

the  summer  of  1856,  and  on  the  site  of  the  present  post- 
office,  opened  a  dry-goods  and  grocery  store,  in  the  building 
subsequently  given  to  the  college,  and  memorable  as  "Pan- 
cake Hall."  Here  for  many  years  he  was  quite  successful  in 
business.  Becoming  a  Christian  under  the  ministry  of  Rev. 
Edwin  S.  Williams,  he  entered  at  once  upon  an  earnest  life 
of  leadership  in  every  movement  pertaining  to  the  moral  and 
religious  welfare  of  the  community.  Naturally  he  was  very 
prominent  and  influential,  and  was  repeatedly  called  to  rep- 
resentative positions  in  public  office.  His  last  years  were 
years  of  increasing  invalidism,  but  no  word  of  complaint  was 
ever  heard.  Brave  and  cheerful  to  the  last,  he  passed  away 
June  i,  1890,  leaving  the  record  of  a  most  honorable  and 
useful  life. 


THE  SIXTIES,  i  97 

folding  to  them  the  object  for  which  he  had  been 
laboring  the  past  few  years,  stating  it  was  to  carry 
out  that  design  he  had  moved  to  this  place,  and  that, 
if  he  failed  here,  he  might  be  constrained  to  remove 
elsewhere  in  order  to  secure  the  sympathy  and  sup- 
port required.  He  mentioned  also  the  action  the 
conference  had  taken  and  was  about  to  take,  telling 
what  he  was  willing  to  do,  and  calling  upon  us  to  as- 
sist to  the  best  of  our  ability  in  carrying  forward  the 
enterprise.  Informal  pledges  were  taken  amount- 
ing, with  Mr.  Goodsell's  subscription,  to  about 
$8,000.  The  subject  was  now  fairly  before  the 
public."  Though  no  date  is  given  for  this  first 
(destined,  however,  to  be  by  no  means  the  last) 
meeting  held  in  Northfield,  with  the  needs  of  the 
college  as  the  burning  theme,  there  can  be  no  mis- 
take in  placing  it  on  the  eve  of  the  meeting  of  the 
conference,  held  in  Minneapolis  in  October,  1865. 

According  to  the  Minutes,  at  that  assemblage,  "A 
report  was  received  from  C.  M.  Goodsell,  chairman 
of  a  committee  on  a  proposed  college,  which  was  as 
follows:  "To  aid  in  founding  a  college  in  North- 
field  for  our  denomination,  we  can  pledge  the  pay- 
ment of  $7,000  in  cash,  and  the  title  to  ten  acres 
of  land  as  a  site,  worth  $1,000,  as  a  donation  from 
two  individuals.  And  we  have  no  doubt  that  nearly 
or  quite  $3,000  more  can  be  raised  by  subscription, 
or  in  the  form  of  stock,  from  other  citizens  of 
Northfield  and  vicinity,  for  the  purpose  of  erecting 
the  first  college  building.  So  much  for  Northfield. 


98  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

Now,  are  there  not  other  towns  that  will  take  hold 
of  the  matter  and  do  better  than  this,  thus  getting 
up  some  competition,  and  then  perhaps  more  than 
this  can  be  done  here."  It  was  voted  that  the  re- 
port be  referred  to  a  committee  of  three  to  report 
at  this  session.  Revs.  E.  Brown,  E.  S.  Williams 
and  R.  Hall  were  appointed,  and  later  presented  this 
resolution  and  recommended  its  adoption:  "That, 
in  the  opinion  of  this  conference,  the  time  has  ar- 
rived when  it  may  be  expedient  to  establish  within 
our  bounds  an  institution  of  learning  under  the  con- 
trol of  our  denomination;  and  to  this  end  the  fol- 
lowing persons  be  appointed  a  committee  to  receive 
proposals  for  a  location,  and  take  such  other  pre- 
liminary measures  as  may  be  necessary,  and  report 
their  action  for  approval  at  the  next  meeting  of 
the  conference,  to-wit:  Rev.  Richard  Hall  of  St. 
Paul,  Rev.  C.  B.  Sheldon  of  Excelsior,  Rev.  David 
Burt  of  Winona,  I.  C.  Stearns  of  Zumbrota,  R.  G. 
Lincoln  of  Medford,  C.  M.  Goodsell  of  Northfield, 
and  R.  J.  Baldwin  of  Minneapolis."  And  thus  had 
it  come  to  pass  that  at  length,  after  nearly  ten  years 
of  consideration,  the  churches  through  their  pastors 
and  delegates  had  registered  their  two-fold  conclu- 
sion, "We  desire  to  see  the  foundations  laid  for  a 
college,"  and  "the  time  has  come  to  begin."  At 
once  the  committee  went  vigorously  to  work  upon 
the  weighty  task  committed  to  their  care,  adopting 
measures  which  may  best  be  presented  in  the  lan- 
guage of  their  report  presented  a  year  later. 


THE  SIXTIES,  i  99 

The  College  Voted. — But  first,  let  us  turn  again 
to  Northfield  to  observe  a  movement  in  progress 
there,  we  may  be  sure  with  Mr.  Goodsell  as  inspirer, 
leader  and  central  force,  which  really  settled  before- 
hand the  question  of  location.  And  let  the  manu- 
script of  Mr.  Scriver  tell  the  thrilling  story,  with 
additional  statements  gleaned  from  other  sources: 
"It  was  understood  that  other  places  were  to  com- 
pete for  the  prize,  and  if  we  secured  it  we  would  be 
obliged  to  pay  a  handsome  price.  As  the  agi- 
tation proceeded,  persons  who  at  first  thought  a  cer- 
tain sum  would  be  a  generous  gift,  persuaded  them- 
selves to  double  or  even  treble  it,  and  when  the  final 
trial  came  the  most  sanguine  were  astonished  at 
the  liberality  of  our  citizens.  The  final  contest  came 
at  a  meeting  called  the  evening  previous  to  the 
opening  session  of  the  conference  at  Faribault.  By 
this  time  expectation  had  risen  to  fever  heat.  Ru- 
mors of  what  other  localities  were  intending  to  do 
had  excited  our  rivalry,  and  there  was  a  general 
determination  that  whoever  wrested  the  prize  from 
us  would  find  it  a  costly  operation.  The  gathering 
was  held  in  Wheaton's  Hall,  which  was  crowded 
with  eager  and  expectant  citizens.  Great  enthu- 
siasm prevailed,  and  every  one  seemed  cheerful, 
hopeful  and  fully  resolved  to  win.  Different  speak- 
ers were  announced,  but  Rev.  Edward  Anderson  of 
Lake  City  was  the  principal  attraction,  and  his  com- 
ing from  a  competing  locality  gave  a  deeper  inter- 
est and  zest  to  what  he  would  have  to  say.  We 


100          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

expected  to  be  challenged  to  do  our  best,  and  while 
the  flag  of  defiance  would  be  flaunted  in  our  faces, 
we  meant  to  show  that  our  blood  was  up,  and  that 
we  would  sustain  the  fair  fame  of  our  village  for 
enterprise  and  liberality.  Mr.  Anderson  did  his 
part  well,  keeping  us  in  good  humor  by  his  wit  and 
happy  illustrations,  at  the  same  time  stimulating 
our  pride,  and  making  us  eager  to  show  of  what 
stuff  we  were  made,  by  telling  us  the  determina- 
tion and  expectations  of  Lake  City.  Others  also 
spoke,  among  them  Mr.  Hall,  Mr.  Seccombe  and 
Mr.  Packard,  encouraging  us  by  exalting  the  value 
of  the  prize  for  which  we  were  contending.  When 
the  time  came  for  putting  down  our  pledges,  a 
perfect  rush  was  made  for  the  secretary's  desk,  and 
for  some  time  it  was  almost  impossible  to  accom- 
modate the  impatient  multitude  of  men,  women  and 
children  in  haste  to  pledge  themselves  to  the  noble 
enterprise,  Before  we  separated  some  $18,000  had 
been  subscribed.  Mr.  Goodsell  was  more  than  sat- 
isfied. The  next  morning  volunteers  were  enlisted 
to  canvass  the  surrounding  country,  and  so  much 
had  the  interest  spread  that  by  night  they  returned 
with  enough  to  increase  the  amount  to  $21,029,  our 
final  bid  for  the  future  college." 

We  have  a  second  account  of  the  same  famous 
meeting,  from  the  pen  of  Rev.  J.  R.  Barnes,  sent 
soon  after  to  the  "  Home  Missionary  "  for  publi- 
cation. He  writes :  "  I  have  recently  had  a  pleas- 
ant experience  of  some  of  the  natural  fruits  of  home 


THE  SIXTIES,  i  101 

missions  in  a  new  country.  Ten  years  ago,  com- 
missioned by  your  society,  I  entered  upon  the  field 
now  comprising  Northfield,  Lewiston,  and  Cannon 
Falls,  and  organized  churches  at  those  places.  While 
laboring  at  Northfield,  after  becoming  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  people,  and  the  advantages  of 
the  location,  I  repeatedly  remarked  that  this  was 
the  spot  for  a  college.  This  idea,  which  also  oc- 
curred to  other  minds  from  time  to  time,  is  now 
about  to  assume  a  tangible  form.  At  a  meeting 
held  October  10,  the  people  took  hold  of  the  matter 
in  good  earnest,  and  completed  an  effort  that  had 
been  in  progress  for  some  time,  which  resulted  in 
raising  over  $20,000  for  the  erection  of  the  first 
building.  After  the  matter  had  been  presented  fully 
by  ministers  and  other  friends  of  the  cause,  the 
congregation  was  invited  to  push  on  the  raising  of 
funds,  that  the  result  might  be  reported  to  the  con- 
ference next  day.  The  invitation  was  accepted 
without  delay,  one  after  another  of  the  men  ad- 
vancing to  the  table  to  put  down  their  names; 
then  the  women,  eld  and  young,  followed  their  ex- 
ample. On  the  front  seat  was  a  row  of  boys  ten 
or  twelve  years  of  age,  one  of  whom  I  noticed 
was  barefoot.  Catching  the  spirit  of  the  occasion, 
they  gave  their  names  for  five  or  ten  dollars,  mak- 
ing $100  or  more  of  boys'  donations."  Presi- 
dent Strong  also  adds  some  details  in  an  address 
given  at  Carleton's  quarter-centennial :  "  North- 
field's  offer  was  a  cash  subscription  of  $18,579, 


102          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

and  twenty  acres  of  land  within  a  short  distance 
of  the  center  of  town.  One-half  of  this  land  was 
given  by  Mr.  Goodsell,  and  one-half  by  Charles 
A.  Wheaton,  an  earnest  friend  of  the  college  from 
the  beginning,  and  a  liberal  donor.  Repeated 
gifts  came  from  him  and  his  family.  Among  the 
generous  contributors  who  have  gone  to  their  re- 
ward were  Hiram  Scriver,  Allen  N.  Nourse,  Dr. 
Moses  Porter,  Dr.  H.  L.  Coon  and  S.  P.  Stewart. 
The  donors  still  living  are  so  many  that  I  forbear 
to  mention  any,  except  the  enthusiastic  young  pas- 
tor, E.  S.  Williams,  always  a  leader  in  good 
things.  When  a  telegram  announced  the  decision 
of  the  conference  to  locate  the  college  here,  at  once 
the  whole  town  was  astir.  Bells  were  rung,  and 
the  citizens  indulged  in  a  general  jubilation." 

The  College  Located. — A  portion  of  the  facts 
just  recited  are  somewhat  out  of  chronological 
order,  and  ahead  of  time;  but  it  seemed  best  not 
to  break  the  narrative;  and  besides,  what  happened 
in  Northfield  one  day  was  in  great  part  the  cause 
of  what  occurred  in  Faribault  the  day  following. 
Turning  now  to  the  decisive  action  taken  by  the 
conference,  we  learn  this  from  the  Minutes :  "  The 
committee  on  a  college  reported  through  its  chair- 
man, Mr.  Hall,  recommending  the  acceptance  of 
the  offers  of  the  people  of  Northfield,  and  the  adop- 
tion of  that  place  as  the  location  of  the  college." 
Lengthy  details  were  given  concerning  the  several 
offers  made,  and  various  reasons  for  the  conclusion 


THE  SIXTIES,  i  103 

reached.  They  say  for  substance:  In  attempting 
to  carry  out  the  instructions  of  the  conference, 
the  first  step  was  taken  by  sending  a  circular  to 
every  church  which  was  at  all  likely  to  compete, 
asking  these  five  questions :  "  Can  you  offer  a  suit- 
able location?  What  amount  of  cash  can  you 
pledge,  and  when  can  you  pay  it  ?  What  amount  of 
land  for  a  site,  its  location  and  value,  when  can 
it  be  conveyed,  and  what  title  can  be  given?  How 
much  can  you  raise  by  subscription,  or  in  the  form 
of  stock?  What  further  inducements  can  you 
offer  ?  "  The  circular  was  sent  to  twenty  churches, 
and  five  made  reply.  Zumbrota  offered  $1,000,  a 
site  worth  from  $300  to  $500,  and  $2,000  in  stock. 
Mantorville  offered  "  the  best  quarry  in  the  state" ; 
a  building  of  the  finest  cut-stone,  worth  from  $6,000 
to  $7,000,  which  anywhere  else  would  cost  from 
$10,000  to  $12,000;  a  site,  and  $6,000  in  cash. 
Cottage  Grove  forwarded  43  names  upon  a  sub- 
scription amounting  to  $8,170,  and  would  add  a 
site  of  land  worth  $1,200,  with  the  choice  of  a 
tract  of  1 8  acres,  or  between  two  of  20  acres  each. 
Lake  City  proposed  to  donate  a  ten-acre  site  eighty 
rods  from  the  center  of  town,  and  to  bond  the  city 
for  $20,000;  though  later  the  bonding  scheme  was 
abandoned.  Mantorville  finally  concluded  that  it 
would  not  be  able  to  provide  a  building  of  the  size 
required.  Northfield  therefore  far  outdid  all  com- 
petitors, and  so  could  properly  claim  the  prize. 
But,  as  additional  reasons  for  selecting  this 


104          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

locality,  the  committee  suggest :  "  This  village  is 
not,  like  Lake  City  and  Cottage  Grove,  upon  the 
eastern  border  of  the  state,  but  twenty-five  miles 
from  it  at  the  nearest  point."  As  to  security  of 
title,  extent  of  grounds,  eligibility  of  position  and 
beauty  of  scenery,  it  will  compare  not  unfavorably 
with  the  others.  "  The  population  is  1,500,  while 
as  to  intelligence,  morals  and  religion,  none  can 
show  a  better  record,  or  has  a  better  outlook.  It  is 
a  fine  place  to  which  to  send  children  from  Chris- 
tian homes.  As  to  latitude,  by  the  census  of  1865 
the  population  to  the  north  of  it  numbers  107,678, 
and  south  of  it  141,691,  but  immigration  is  now 
to  the  northern  part.  It  is  providential  that  the 
greatest  inducements  are  where  the  center  of  popu- 
lation is."  The  thoughtful  reader  may  find  it  some- 
what difficult  to  repress  a  gentle  smile  at  the 
logic  hereabouts.  But  the  report  continues :  "Nine 
years  ago,  coming  to  Minnesota,  Mr.  Goodsell  se- 
lected Northfield  for  the  purpose  he  had  in  view. 
He  had  a  little  property  which  he  would  consecrate 
as  a  nucleus  for  a  college,  and  his  judgment,  ex- 
ercised prayerfully,  indicated  Northfield  as  most 
likely  to  be  the  point.  The  committee  would  say 
that  among  all  the  advantages  enumerated  for  this 
village,  they  deem  it  one  of  the  most  important, 
if  not  the  most  important,  that  in  choosing  North- 
field  we  shall  doubtless  be  able  to  avail  ourselves 
of  the  sound  judgment,  the  untiring  zeal  and  the 
eminent  financial  ability  of  Mr.  Goodsell.  This  will 


THE  SIXTIES,  i  105 

be  invaluable  to  give  us  confidence  in  the  enterprise 
itself,  and  to  secure  us  credit  abroad  when  we 
shall  appeal  to  the  Eastern  givers."  Another  item 
of  "fact"  is  added  by  way  of  argument  in  favor 
of  the  community  upon  which  the  boon  was  to  be 
bestowed.  "  We  believe  it  has  been  proved  that 
the  very  best  of  brick  for  building  can  be  made  in 
Northfield."  But  alas,  not  so.  As  in  due  time 
we  shall  see,  this  w^s  a  most  unfortunate  misap- 
prehension and  one  which  led  to  disappointment 
and  calamity. 

Therefore,  all  things  considered,  the  conclusion 
is :  "  We  recommend  that  Northfield  be  adopted 
as  the  location,  and  that  our  churches  solemnly 
pledge  our  sympathies,  prayers,  and  united  efforts 
to  build  it  up.  It  is  of  the  utmost  importance,  be 
it  distinctly  understood,  that  wre  are  to  have,  for 
at  least  for  a  long  time  to  come,  only  this  one  to 
which  we  give  our  endorsement.  At  the  same 
time,  let  us  do  all  we  can  to  encourage  and  build 
up  any  subordinate  institutions,  like  academies,  that 
may  be  needed  to  became  feeders  by  preparing 
students.  We  appreciate  the  efforts  that  have  been 
made  in  this  direction  by  our  brother,  Rev.  Charles 
Galpin,  and  his  colaborers,  and  we  bid  them  a 
hearty  God  speed,  and  assure  them  of  our  sympa- 
thies and  cooperation  in  their  educational  efforts 
at  Excelsior."  The  pertinence  and  force  of  the 
concluding  suggestions  appear  in  connection  with 
the  acceptance  of  the  report  and  the  adoption  of 


106  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

its  recommendation.  With  conspicuous  but  tan- 
talizing brevity  the  Minutes  say :  "  After  remarks 
by  Messrs.  Seccombe,  Galpin,  Anderson,  Brown, 
Willard  and  Furber,  it  was  carried  unanimously." 
However,  the  "  Faribault  Republican  "  says  in  its 
report  of  this  meeting :  "  A  large  number  spoke  for 
Northfield  and  only  one  for  any  other  place,  Rev. 
Mr.  Galpin,  who  argued  strongly  and  at  great 
length  for  Excelsior.  His  talk  was,  however,  per- 
fectly useless,  for  it  was  evident  from  the  first  that 
Northfield  would  be  adopted."  We  cannot  but 
deeply  grieve  with  this  godly  and  consecrated  man 
in  this  deadly  blow  given  to  his  most  cherished  long- 
ings and  hopes  after  an  entire  decade  of  prayer  and 
toil  and  lavish  giving.  And  all  the  more  if  we 
re-read  in  this  connection  the  letter  of  Rev.  C.  B. 
Sheldon  given  in  the  chapter  preceding,  written  not 
far  from  this  date  and  telling  how  bright  was  the 
outlook  for  the  Excelsior  undertaking. 

Having  thus  fixed  the  local  habitation  of  the 
proposed  college,  the  conference  proceeded  to  vote 
that  the  name  of  the  institution  to  be  founded  should 
be  Northfield  College,  and  to  resolve,  "  That  the 
conference  pledge  $10,000,  to  be  collected  from  the 
churches  during  the  coming  year."  A  committee 
was  also  appointed  to  "  nominate  persons  suitable 
to  serve  as  a  board  of  trustees,"  and  the  following 
were  afterwards  elected  (omitting  the  names  of 
certain  ones  who  failed  to  qualify,  and  giving  the 
list  as  published  the  next  year)  :  Northfield,  Hiram 


THE  SIXTIES,  i  107 

Scriver,  J.  H.  Spencer,  M.  W.  Skinner;  St.  Paul, 
Rev.  Richard  Hall;  Zumbrota,  Rev.  Charles  Sec- 
combe;  Minneapolis,  A.  T.  Hale;  Cottage  Grove, 
S.  W.  Furber;  Winona,  Rev.  J.  F.  Dudley;  Fari- 
bault,  Rev.  J.  W.  Strong,  J.  L.  Noyes;  Anoka, 
Rev.  A.  K.  Packard;  Rochester,  Rev.  Americus 
Fuller  (now  a  missionary  of  the  American  Board 
at  Aintab,  Turkey) ;  West  Eau  Claire,  Wisconsin, 
Rev.  George  Spaulding.  The  trustees  were  in- 
structed "  to  adopt  as  one  of  the  articles  of  incor- 
poration that  three-fourths  of  the  members  of  the 
board  shall  always  be  members  of  Congregational 
churches  in  connection  with  the  general  conference 
of  Minnesota,  or  members  of  the  conference;  and 
that  the  board  shall  have  power  to  fill  its  own 
vacancies."  S.  W.  Furber  offered  a  resolution 
which  after  earnest  discussion  was  adopted,  as  fol- 
lows :  "  Resolved,  That  this  conference  pledge  the 
sum  of  $10,000  towards  the  college  to  be  estab- 
lished at  Northfield  under  the  auspices  of  this 
body,  said  sum  to  be  collected  in  the  churches  of 
our  own  state  during  the  coming  year;  and  that 
thereby  we  give  tangible  evidence  of  the  interest 
we  feel  in  this  great  work." 

Almost  immediately  the  trustees  met  for  organiz- 
ation in  the  parlor  of  Deacon  James  Gibson,  arid  as 
their  first  act,  all  being  filled  with  a  deep  sense  of 
their  need  of  Divine  help,  prayer  was  offered  by 
Rev.  George  Spaulding,  the  oldest  member.  Rev. 
Richard  Hall  (who  for  ten  years  had  been  home 


108  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

missionary  superintendent,  and  so  was  the  founder 
of  most  of  the  churches),  was  chosen  chairman, 
and  a  committee  was  appointed  to  draw  up  articles 
of  incorporation,  to  be  reported  at  a  session  to  be 
held  a  month  later.  Rev.  Charles  Seccombe  (the 
hero  of  St.  Anthony,  when  in  1850  the  right  of 
Congregationalism  to  exist  in  Minnesota  was  reso- 
lutely contended  for  and  thoroughly  established) 
was  elected  financial  agent,  to  enter  at  once  upon 
his  untried  and  difficult  task  of  raising  funds  for 
the  institution  not  yet  in  existence. 

Northfield,  which  had  now  come  suddenly  into  de- 
served fame,  was  but  a  small  village  and  only  a  few 
months  before  had  witnessed  the  advent  of  the  loco- 
motive. Considering  the  limited  financial  ability  of 
most,  the  really  large  amount  subscribed  to  secure 
the  college  cannot  but  be  deemed  liberal,  and  lavish 
to  the  borders  of  the  extravagant  and  prodigal.  The 
number  of  subscribers  to  the  "  Founders'  Fund " 
was  20 1,  including  male  and  female,  young  and 
old.  Truly  has  it  been  affirmed:  ^This  exhibit 
speaks  for  itself,  and  carries  its  own  testimony  to 
the  intelligence  and  religious  earnestness  of  a  peo- 
ple who  put  this  valuation  on  the  privilege  of 
having  a  college  located  in  their  midst.  They  paid 
too  for  the  honor  received  with  no  little  self-sacri- 
fice. But,  through  the  long  future  in  which  this 
institution  shall  grow  in  fame  and  influence,  will 
it  stand  as  the  grandest  memorial  of  the  wisdom 
and  Christian  faith  of  those  citizens  through  whose 


THE  SIXTIES,  i  109 

efforts  and  gifts  this,  their  crown-jewel,  was  se- 
cured." 

Other  Colleges. — It  must  not  be  supposed  that 
while  the  Congregationalists  were  thus  engaged, 
all  others  were  idle.  Besides  some  which  began 
to  be  but  went  down  in  the  crash,  these  which  sur- 
vive had  a  beginning:  Hamline  University, 
Methodist,  now  in  St.  Paul,  but  then  in  Red  Wing, 
1854;  St.  John's  University,  Roman  Catholic,  Col- 
legeville,  1857;  Gustavus  Adolphus,  Lutheran,  St. 
Peter,  1862;  Augsburg  Seminary,  Lutheran,  Min- 
neapolis, 1869.  One  other  remains,  the  University 
of  Minnesota,  which  was  incorporated  in  1851,  soon 
received  from  Congress  more  than  200,000  acres 
of  land  (more  than  half  of  which  was  lost  in  the 
crash),  a  preparatory  school  was  opened  which 
continued  for  some  three  years,  was  suspended, 
was  started  again  in  1858  only  to  fail  again  and  re- 
main dormant  for  nine  years.  A  great  building  was 
begun  early,  though  soon  work  was  stopped  with  the 
walls  unfinished,  nor  was  it  ready  for  use  until 
1867.  About  that  date  a  reorganization  was 
effected,  including  a  scheme  for  a  real  university, 
and  with  President  Folwell  put  in  charge  in  1869 
when  prosperous  days  began.  At  one  time  the 
outlook  was  so  desperate  that  the  institution  came 
within  a  single  vote  of  being  turned  into  an  insane 
asylum ! 


110          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  SIXTIES,   2. 

The  College  Opened. 

The  die  had  now  been  cast,  the  Rubicon  was 
crossed,  and  there  was  no  turning  back  without 
confession  of  failure  and  blunder.  The  conference 
had  done  its  work  of  providing  the  machinery  for 
further  and  more  specific  action.  Abundance  of 
interest  had  been  kindled,  certain  acres  were  in 
evidence  whereon  college  structures  could  be  reared, 
some  thousands  of  dollars  had  been  pledged  and 
other  thousands  had  by  resolution  been  promised; 
but  as  yet  nothing  was  visible  in  the  shape  of  build- 
ings, or  endowment,  or  faculty,  or  students.  Thus 
far  the  process  of  laying  foundations  had  been  easy 
and  pleasant,  the  tremendous  tug  was  wholly  fu- 
ture; the  years  of  anxious  waiting,  of  discourage- 
ment and  disappointment,  of  keen  financial  dis- 
tress. Nevertheless,  the  actors  in  the  great  trans- 
action were  full  of  faith  in  God  and  in  each  other, 
and  so  went  forth  unhesitatingly  though  not  know- 
ing whither ;  not  much  caring  whether  calm  or  tem- 
pest was  in  store,  a  smooth  or  a  stormy  sea.  But 
not  many  months  elapsed  before  the  inspiring  vision, 
on  which  at  Northfield  and  at  Faribault  they  had 


HORACE   GOODHUE. 


THE  SIXTIES,  2  111 

gazed  with  much  enthusiasm,  began  to  fade  away; 
for  a  number  of  years  the  situation  seemed  actually 
to  wax  worse  and  worse,  so  that  more  than  once, 
as  the  many  judged,  irretrievable  disaster  was  in- 
evitable and  at  the  door. 

In  particular,  three  exigent  tasks  were  on  hand: 
The  institution  which  had  been  created,  that  is 
viva  voce  and  on  paper,  must  be  properly  housed; 
teachers  must  be  sought  out  and  secured,  including 
one  thoroughly  competent  to  organize  and  lead; 
and  more  money  must  be  obtained  by  canvass 
among  the  churches  for  salaries  and  other  neces- 
sary expenses.  The  conference  had  voted  $10,000, 
and  the  board  had  appointed  Rev.  Charles  Sec- 
combe  financial  agent  to  collect  this  amount.  Al- 
most at  once  he  set  forth,  and  pushed  the  under- 
taking vigorously  to  a  successful  conclusion ;  so  that 
in  due  time  he  was  able  to  report  subscriptions 
gained  to  the  amount  of  $10,740,  of  which  $2,700 
had  been  paid.  He  had  visited  no  less  than  72 
towns,  and  gained  a  substantial  response  from  991 
donors.  There  were  no  large  gifts,  only  five  of 
over  $100,  and  the  largest  of  these  only  $250.  This 
most  encouraging  result  was  secured  though  the 
times  were  hard.  So  abject  was  the  general  poverty 
that  notes  were  taken  for  one  dollar,  and  even  for 
twenty-five  cents.  Some  of  these  promises  to  pay, 
bearing  a  five  cent  government  stamp  as  the  law 
then  required,  are  still  preserved  in  the  archives 


112          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

of  the  college.  Incidents  like  the  following  well 
display  the  spirit  which  was  abroad.  One  church 
in  a  farming  community  subscribed  $100,  though 
at  the  same  time  tugging  at  the  task  of  raising 
funds  for  a  sanctuary.  Another  in  straitened  cir- 
cumstances and  in  mid-winter,  engaged  upon  a  simi- 
lar task,  made  pledges  aggregating  $250.  A  third, 
located  upon  the  frontier  where  all  had  been  re- 
cently in  real  destitution,  with  not  even  a  school- 
house  for  a  place  of  worship,  found  by  the  agent 
holding  services  in  a  grove,  gave  to  the  extent  of 
$100.50;  and  that  too  while  cash  collections  were 
being  gathered  for  two  other  objects!  A  fourth, 
in  Wisconsin,  like  divers  of  its  neighbors  tempo- 
rarily connected  with  the  Minnesota  conference, 
located  more  than  a  hundred  miles  from  North- 
field,  contributed  more  than  $300.  Children  as  well 
as  adults  shared  in  the  luxury  of  sacrifice  and  self- 
denial.  The  first  money  ever  paid  into  the  treasury 
came  from  a  boy  who  is  said  to  have  earned  it 
from  the  sale  of  pop-corn.  AncJ  the  first  money 
paid  on  the  notes  taken  by  Mr.  Seccombe  was  from 
a  girl  in  Clearwater.  He  relates  that  another  girl, 
living  in  Anoka,  Cora  A.  Bisbee  (and  let  the  name 
be  remembered),  brought  to  him  two  silver  half- 
dollars,  which  she  had  received  in  infancy,  and 
held  as  keepsakes  almost  sacred.  In  spite  of  his 
hesitation,  she  insisted  upon  leaving  them  in  his 
hands.  Later,  being  exhibited  in  Winona  and  their 


THE  SIXTIES,  2  113 

story  told,  with  several  dollars  accruing  as  the 
result,  they  were  returned  to  the  giver.  But  still 
she  refused  them,  saying  that  she  wished  herself 
to  contribute  at  least  so  much  to  the  founding  of 
the  college.  One  of  these  coins  is  still  preserved 
as  a  token  of  the  interest  felt  in  Carleton  by  the 
children  in  the  early  days.  The  other  has  been  re- 
turned to  the  original  donor. 

'A  Building  Voted. — While  the  financial  canvass 
was  thus  moving  prosperously  forward,  the  board 
were  busy  looking  after  other  weighty  matters 
nearer  home.  Thus  it  voted,  "  That  the  money 
raised  by  the  citizens  of  Northfield,  and  what  may 
be  raised  by  the  financial  agent,  be  regarded  as  a 
Founders'  Fund,  and  the  names  of  the  donors,  with 
the  sums  contributed,  be  deposited  in  the  corner- 
stone of  the  first  building  erected;  and  entered  on 
the  records  of  the  board."  Then  further,  never 
dreaming  that  what  they  now  determined  to  do 
was  destined  to  remain  unperformed  for  more  than 
the  space  of  a  dreary  and  weary  half-decade,  Janu- 
ary 25,  1867,  "  Voted,  That  the  executive  com- 
mittee be  instructed  to  proceed  as  soon  as  they  are 
prepared  and  can  secure  the  means  to  erect  a  college 
building  to  be  located  on  the  ground  selected  by 
the  board  this  day.  The  foundation  walls  to  be 
laid  with  reference  to  heating  with  furnaces  or 
other  arrangements  beneath  it,  but  without  a  proper 
basement  story;  the  foundations  of  stone  and  the 
walls  of  brick  [save  the  mark!],  about  fifty  or 


114          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

sixty  by  seventy  or  eighty  feet  on  the  ground,  and 
three  stories  high;  or  two  with  a  French  roof, 
each  except  the  third,  not  less  than  fourteen  feet 
high;  the  whole  work  to  be  thoroughly  done  with 
the  best  materials,  according  to  plans  and  specifica- 
tions prepared  by  a  competent  architect;  plans  to 
have  reference  first  to  convenience  of  designed  use 
in  the  arrangement  of  rooms,  the  securing  favor- 
able light  and  ventilation;  next  symmetry  and  cor- 
rectness of  proportions;  the  style  of  finish  outside 
and  inside  to  avoid  expensive  ornamentation."  This 
is  the  future  "  Willis  Hall "  in  embryo,  or  as  it 
appeared  in  the  mind's  eye  of  the  trustees,  as  they 
gazed  into  the  future  unseen  and  unknown,  with- 
out experience  and  so  with  much  to  learn  and  much 
to  endure,  before  the  structure  thus  designed  and 
outlined  should  be  ready  for  use.  We  recall  that 
the  conference  committee,  in  enumerating  the  rea- 
sons for  preferring  Northfield  as  the  seat  of  the 
college,  had  stated  the  fact  (which  proved  to  be 
instead  a  fiction  delusive  and  mischievous)  :  "It 
has  been  proved  that  the  very  best  brick  for  build- 
ing can  be  made  there."  It  appears  that  a  bed  of 
clay  had  been  discovered  a  mile  or  two  to  the  south 
of  the  village  which  for  a  brief  season  bore  this 
enviable  reputation.  Therefore,  with  all  confidence, 
when  the  spring  opened,  some  scores  of  thousands 
of  brick  were  made  and  burned  and  hauled,  at  no 
inconsiderable  expenditure  of  money  and  precious 
time,  but  only  to  find  them  altogether  too  soft  and 


THE  SIXTIES,  2  115 

ready  to  crumble  for  a  building  so  large  and  lofty.* 
It  had  been  determined  and  planned  that  the  school 
should  open  in  the  autumn  of  this  year,  but  after 
this  failure  appeared,  it  was  too  late  to  prepare 
the  quarters  proposed  before  another  year.  What 
should  be  done  to  meet  the  emergency?  What  make- 
shift was  both  possible  and  wise?  May  2ist  a  meet- 
ing of  the  trustees  was  held  at  which  it  was  "  Re- 
solved, That  in  lieu  of  an  immediate  erection  of 
such  a  building  as  has  been  contemplated,  the  execu- 
tive committee  be  instructed  to  purchase  and  put 
in  condition  for  the  present  exigencies  of  the  col- 
lege the  property  known  as  the  '  American  House' 
[erected  by  Mr.  North  some  ten  years  before,  he 
also  building  better  than  he  knew],  with  the  six 
lots  and  all  buildings  thereon,  except  the  barn ;  mak- 
ing the  best  terms  they  may  be  able."  Later  it 
was  reported  officially  that  "  the  new  building  cost 
with  furnishings  $5,900  paid,  and  $3,200  owed, 
total  $9,100;  while  the  original  cost  of  the  build- 
ing alone  was  $5,500."  Some  such  step  as  this 
was  evidently  demanded  by  the  exigency,  and  yet 
it  proved  unfortunate  in  various  ways,  since  it  led 
straight  into  some  serious  complications.  In  setting 
these  forth,  and  so  depicting  somewhat  of  the  situa- 
tion as  it  existed  in  the  summer  and  for  months 
afterwards,  we  can  resort  again  with  profit  to  Mr. 

*  Perhaps,  however,  it  ought  to  be  added  that  within  a 
few  years,  at  another  point  not  far  from  Northfield,  clay  of 
an  excellent  quality  has  been  discovered  and  extensive  brick 
works  are  operated. 


116  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

Scriver's  manuscript  though  at  some  cost  of  repeti- 
tion.   He  says: 

"It  was  esteemed  peculiarly  favorable  to  the  pros- 
pects of  the  young  college  that  Mr.  Goodsell  con- 
sidered it  his  future  life's  work  to  attend  especially 
to  its  material  interests.  This  fact  also  inspired 
confidence  in  the  hearts  of  the  people  around  North- 
field,  among  the  trustees  and  throughout  the  state. 
Especially  did  the  trustees  upon  the  ground,  being 
young  and  inexperienced  in  such  matters,  lean  with 
confidence  upon  Mr.  Goodsell;  perhaps  were  too 
much  disposed  to  place  burdens  upon  him  which 
he  was  willing  to  bear,  and  for  which  his  large 
experience  had  fitted  him.  The  purchase  of  a  kiln 
of  brick  was  made,  which  upon  delivery  proved  to 
be  too  soft  for  such  a  building  as  was  required. 
These,  however,  were  retailed  out  without  much 
loss.  Next,  a  purchase  of  stone  for  a  foundation 
was  made.  But  soon,  upon  mature  reflection,  it 
was  seen  that  by  the  time  the  proposed  building 
was  erected,  contingent  upon  the  collection  of  sub- 
scriptions, and  these  perhaps  exhausted  before  it 
was  finished,  precious  time  would  be  lost,  and  the 
organization  of  the  school  be  seriously  delayed. 
Just  now,  providentially  as  it  seemed,  an  oppor- 
tunity offered  for  the  purchase  of  the  American 
House  at  a  very  low  price,  and  which  by  the  ex- 
penditure of  a  comparatively  small  sum  could  be 
changed  so  as  to  well  meet  the  present  require- 
ments of  the  school,  a  boarding  department  in- 


THE  SIXTIES,  2  117 

eluded.  A  meeting  of  the  trustees  was  called,  the 
case  was  presented  and  the  vote  was  unanimous 
in  favor  of  making  the  purchase.  Under  the 
supervision  of  a  competent  architect,  Mr.  Goodsell, 
taking  the  sole  charge,  proceeded  to  make  the  alter- 
ations deemed  necessary.  (Let  us  recall  that  it  was 
just  now  that  the  west  wing  of  the  '  Old  Brown 
Church '  was  rising,  with  this  same  much  over- 
burdened man  superintendent  of  construction). 
But  this  action  of  the  trustees  did  not  meet  the  ap- 
proval of  many  in  the  community.  Although  no 
pledge  had  ever  been  given  as  to  how  the  funds 
subscribed  in  and  about  Northfield  were  to  be  used, 
yet  it  had  become  the  understanding  among  most 
of  the  subscribers  that  they  were  to  be  expended 
upon  a  college  edifice  which  would  be  an  ornament 
to  the  town.  And  hence  the  new  scheme  operated 
very  materially  against  the  collection  of  pledges. 
Some  paid  cheerfully,  some  grudgingly,  but  many 
more  refused  to  pay  anything  until  the  building  was 
in  progress.  So  general  and  profound  was  the  dis- 
satisfaction that  at  the  end  of  three  years  less  than 
half  the  pledges  had  been  paid.  It  was  evident  that 
with  too  many  enthusiasm  had  sadly  abated  and 
that  any  excuse  would  serve  to  absolve  them,  in 
their  own  minds,  from  any  obligation  to  meet  their 
promises.  However,  the  hotel  was  transformed 
and  the  school  was  started."  Thus  far  Mr.  Scriver. 
In  July  of  1868  the  board  voted  to  begin  the  prom- 
ised building  and  the  foundation  was  put  in  dur- 


118          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

ing  the  autumn,  the  corner  stone  was  laid  in  con- 
nection with  the  annual  meeting  of  the  board  the 
year  after;  by  the  end  of  another  year  the  stone 
walls  had  been  carried  up  as  far  as  the  water-table ; 
but  two  years  more  of  waiting  were  in  store  before 
ihe  joy  of  completion  was  tasted.  No  wonder  then 
that  hope  so  long  deferred  made  the  hearts  of  many 
sick. 

The  School  Opened. — But  meantime  the  third 
thing  needful  had  not  been  either  forgotten  or  neg- 
lected. For  at  the  same  meeting  which  directed 
the  purchase  of  the  hotel  the  board  authorized  a 
committee  composed  of  Messrs.  Hall,  Seccombe  and 
Strong  to  engage  a  teacher  and  to  offer  a  salary 
of  $1,500.  A  correspondence  was  commenced, 
among  others  with  letters  written  to  the  president 
of  Dartmouth  college,  Rev.  Dr.  Asa  D.  Smith, 
who  also  presently  named  a  student  about  to  gradu- 
ate, and  added :  "  He  will  fill  the  bill.  He  stands 
over  six  feet,  weighs  over  two  hundred  pounds,  and 
has  never  seen  a  sick  day.  He  is  a  good  scholar, 
and  is  popular  with  the  faculty  and  students."  The 
responsible  position  was  offered  and  accepted,  and 
in  due  season  Horace  Goodhue,  Jr.,  was  on  hand 
in  Northfield  ready  to  begin  to  play  his  part.* 


*To  this  untried  and  unseasoned  youth  the  Board,  in  the 
fulness  of  their  faith,  offer  so  large  a  salary,  and  later  the 
same  for  a  senior  professor  (whatever  that  may  signify). 
But  as  a  part  of  the  explanation,  we  are  to  remember  that 
this  was  soon  after  the  close  of  the  Rebellion,  the  days  when 
gold  was  at  a  premium,  and  all  prices  were  high.  Then, 
of  course,  none  of  them  knew,  or  could  know,  what  was  in 


THE  SIXTIES,  2  119 

Tradition  apparently  reliable  has  it  that  not  all  were 
altogether  pleased  with  the  outward  appearance  of 
this  earliest  head  of  this  college-to-be.  They  had 
looked  for  a  very  Solomon  to  appear,  and,  lo,  but 
a  beardless  youth  not  altogether  without  traces  of 
verdancy  (that  is,  no  wiser  than  the  average  re- 
cent graduate).  Nevertheless,  there  is  also  abun- 
dant reason  to  believe  that  he  was  thought  much 
better  of  when  acquaintance  .with  him  was  once 
made.  By  September  25  all  things  were  in  readi- 
ness, and  a  preparatory  department  was  opened 
with  something  over  two-score  in  attendance 
the  first  day,  and  the  number  doubling  before  the 
end  of  the  first  term.  Professor  Goodhue  tells  us 
that  he  met  twenty-three  young  men  and  women 
"  in  all  the  ardor  of  their  first  enthusiasm  over  the 
idea  of  going  to  college,  but  the  only  trace  of  a 
college  was  in  the  desire  of  one-third  of  them  to 
begin  the  study  of  Latin."  By  mid-winter  the  sec- 
retary of  the  board  could  announce :  "  So  pressing 
are  the  duties  of  Professor  Goodhue  that  Dr.  At- 
kins has  been  engaged  as  an  assistant.  Arrange- 
ments have  been  perfected  to  have  our  college  in 
embryo  step  forth  in  the  glory  of  a  full-fledged 
college  at  an  early  day."  The  dark  allusion  in  the 
last  sentence  appears  to  be  to  certain  steps  recently 

store.  It  is,  however,  more  than  likely  that  their  faculties 
were  somewhat  jostled  and  upset  by  the  enthusiasm  attend- 
ing the  pledging  the  $22,000  and  the  ease  with  which 
$11,000  more  had  been  subscribed  in  the  state  at  large. 
How  easy  to  suppose  that  the  village  and  the  churches  would 
proceed  at  the  same  pace. 


120  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

taken  by  the  board  looking  to  the  early  choice  of  a 
president,  though  the  advent  of  such  a  functionary 
was  distant  three  years.  Evidently  there  was  need 
of  an  additional  instructor,  for  we  read  of  "four- 
teen classes  a  day,  with  recitations  succeeding  each 
other  so  rapidly  that  the  students  must  needs  be 
constantly  near  at  hand;  thus  remaining  all  day 
in  or  near  the  building." 

The  dining-room  of  the  ex-hotel  had  been  meta- 
morphosed into  a  chapel,  while  the  basement,  which 
formerly  had  done  duty  as  a  bar-room,  and  when 
the  school  opened  was  much  cumbered  with  lumber 
and  rubbish  of  all  kinds  (besides  from  first  to  last 
being  a  favorite  haunt  for  rats  and  mice  galore), 
under  the  new  regime  was  partitioned  off  into 
kitchen,  dining-room  and  reading-room.  Recita- 
tions were  held  upon  the  first  floor,  while  the  two 
upper  stories  were  reserved  as  lodgings  for  teachers 
and  students.  For  a  season  the  principal  and  two 
young  men  were  the  only  occupants  of  Ladies'  Hall, 
though  the  next  year  the  Seccombes  found  a  home 
under  this  roof,  with  Miss  Dow  also.  Ere  long 
Professor  Goodhue  brought  his  bride  from  the  East 
to  abide  in  the  same  quarters,  Professor  Payne  and 
wife  joining  the  company  later  still,  while  Miss 
Evans  and  Miss  Armsby  and  divers  others  were 
destined  here  to  receive  shelter  for  years;  with 
inconveniences  and  aggravations  neither  few  nor 
slight  included.  The  rooms  were  all  heated  by 
stoves,  and  in  order  to  reduce  the  constant  danger 


THE  SIXTIES,  2  121 

of  fire  to  a  minimum  this  rule  was  laid  down  and 
printed  in  the  catalogue :  "  Students  must  keep 
their  rooms  neat  and  orderly.  Upon  leaving  them, 
or  upon  retiring  at  night,  stoves  must  be  closed  and 
lights  extinguished.  Lamps  are  to  be  trimmed  only 
by  daylight.  Ashes  may  be  carried  or  kept  only 
in  iron  vessels,  and  fire  only  in  those  that  are 
closely  covered.  Gunpowder  and  firearms  shall  not 
be  kept  in  or  about  the  building.  Water,  dirt,  or 
anything  either  offensive  or  dangerous,  must  not 
be  kept  about  the  building."  With  great  propriety 
too,  the  practice  of  sawing  and  splitting  wood  upon 
the  upper  floors  was  placed  among  things  strictly 
prohibited.  It  was  voted  early  that  "  the  principal 
have  rooms  in  the  building  and  a  stove  without 
extra  charge;  and  that  he  take  charge  of  the  stu- 
dents' rooms,  taking  an  inventory  of  furniture  and 
reporting  damage."  F.  L.  Kendall  was  installed 
soon  as  boarding  house  steward,  with  board  at 
$3.00  per  week. 

The  emotions  excited  in  Northfield  by  the  ap- 
pearance of  this  educational  prodigy  upon  the  scene 
are  well  pictured  for  us  in  a  paper  read  by  Mrs. 
M.  W.  Skinner  (in  those  ancient  days  known  as 
Emily  Willey),  at  the  thirtieth  anniversary  of  the 
opening  of  the  preparatory  department.  According 
to  the  recollection  of  this  intelligent  and  veracious 
witness :  "  For  several  years  a  college  had  existed 
in  our  town  only  as  a  phantom,  a  castle  in  the  air. 
We  had  heard  it  talked  about  and  prayed  for,  and 


122  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

had  contributed  money  towards  its  realization;  but 
how,  or  when,  or  where  it  would  make  its  appear- 
ance, was  a  matter  of  doubtful  conjecture.  But 
when  the  sound  of  hammers  and  saws  were  heard  in 
the  American  House;  when  blackboards  appeared 
upon  the  walls,  and  real  school  desks  were  fastened 
to  the  floors ;  when  the  ladies  met  to  make  bedding, 
and  furniture  was  contributed  for  the  reception  and 
guest-rooms;  and  best  of  all,  when  the  young  man 
from  Dartmouth  came  to  care  for  the  twenty-three 
students  who  should  eat,  sleep,  study  and  recite  in 
that  building,  it  began  to  dawn  upon  us  that  a  col- 
lege was  really  born  in  our  midst.  It  was  a  lusty 
fellow  and  grew  rapidly.  Its  music  delighted  us, 
its  activity  surprised  us,  and  its  infant  yells  borne 
on  the  midnight  air  disturbed  our  slumbers."  It 
was  during  these  days  of  beginning  that  Mr.  Hall 
wrote  to  the  "  Home  Missionary  "  :  "  The  great 
event  of  the  year  to  the  churches  is  the  founding 
of  a  college.  The  brethren  are  greatly  cheered  by 
the  prospect  of  soon  educating  their  sons  [one 
wonders,  why  not  daughters  also?]  in  an  institu- 
tion under  the  auspices  of  the  Puritan  faith,  an 
institution  inspired  and  molded  by  the  influences 
that  came  from  the  faith,  and  the  free  policy  of  the 
Pilgrims.  They  think  that  in  increased  homogene- 
ousness,  Christian  sympathy  and  liberality,  these 
feeble  churches,  still  largely  dependent  on  aid  from 
the  society,  are  already  experiencing  the  good  re- 


THE  SIXTIES,  2  123 

suits  of  an  effort  calling  for  so  large  self-denial  and 
faith  in  God.'1 

A  pamphlet  appeared  from  the  press  before  the 
close  of  the  first  school  year  bearing  these  words 
upon  the  title  page :  "  Annual  Catalogue  of  North- 
field  College.  July,  1868.  Hiram  A.  Kimball, 
Printer.  Recorder  Office,  Northfield."  The  second 
page  contains  the  names  of  the  executive  commit- 
tee, to-wit:  Hiram  Scriver,  Miron  W.  Skinner, 
Joseph  H.  Spencer,  Sam'l  W.  Furber.  The  names 
of  the  faculty  also,  as  follows:  Horace  Goodhue, 
A.  B.,  Principal,  Instructor  of  Latin,  Greek  and 
Mathematics.  Francis  H.  Atkins,  S.  B.  M.  D.,  In- 
structor of  Natural  Sciences  and  English  Branches. 
In  the  junior  class  of  the  classical  course  appear 
the  names  of  9  men  and  8  women,  in  the  middle 
class  of  the  English  course  the  names  of  4  students, 
in  the  junior  class  of  60;  a  total  of  attendance 
of  8 1  for  the  three  terms.  Of  this  number  about 
half  were  residents  of  Northfield,  and  all  but  four 
of  Minnesota.  Tuition  in  the  common  English 
branches  was  $18.00;  in  the  higher  English  and 
the  classics  $24.00;  and  incidentals  $1.50.  "  Read- 
ing is  a  daily  study  for  all  who  wish  to  pursue 
it."  We  gather  these  items  of  information : 
"  Northfield  is  on  the  Minnesota  Central  R.  R.,  35 
miles  from  St.  Paul  and  29  from  Owatonna.  The 
building  for  the  present  use  of  the  college  is  40 
by  80  feet,  and  is  three  stories  high  besides  a  base- 
ment. It  is  newly  fitted  up  for  its  present  purposes. 


124  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

The  second  and  third  stories  afford  20  choice  rooms 
for  students,  high-studded,  newly  grained,  and  sup- 
plied with  stoves,  chairs,  washstands  and  bedsteads. 
All  members  of  the  college  are  required  to  attend 
church  regularly  on  the  Sabbath,  and  are  forbidden 
to  visit  bowling  and  billiard  halls  and  drinking 
saloons." 

Carleton's  first  "  Commencement "  was  cer- 
tainly unique,  and  in  its  way  not  often  matched, 
occurring  July  14,  1868.  The  programme  in  the 
original  manuscript  is  still  in  existence  and  for  sub- 
stance is  here  reproduced.  The  serious  embarrass- 
ment under  which  the  performers  labored  is  hinted 
at  in  the  closing  sentence.  The  exercises  appear 
to  have  come  as  an  afterthought,  and  to  have  been 
most  perilously  extemporaneous,  for  the  entire 
preparation  is  said  to  have  been  made  in  the  after- 
noon of  that  day,  with  the  performance  following 
i  the  evening.  Seven  declamations  were  rendered 
upon  such  themes  as  Spartacus  to  the  Gladiators; 
The  Character  of  Bonapart  (such  is  the  spelling 
in  the  original) ;  Bernardo  del  Carpo;  The  Roman 
Soldier;  Bingen  on  the  Rhine;  The  Maniac;  The 
Height  of  the  Ridiculous.  Ten  essays  were  inter- 
spersed relating  to,  When  are  We  Happiest ;  Knowl- 
edge; Arctic  Day;  Building;  Wit;  Musings;  Twi- 
light Musings;  Leaves  from  My  Journal;  Arctic 
Night ;  Hope ;  Biographical  Sketch  of  W.  H.  Pres- 
cott.  Singing  was  interspersed  "  by  the  school," 
and  then,  as  the  grand  finale,  the  following  toast 


WILLIAM   CAELETON. 


THE  SIXTIES,  2  125 

was  offered,  to  be  responded  to  by  Mr.  Seccombe, 
"  The  Students  of  Northfield  College."  The  climax 
was  reached  in  the  words :  "  Although  they  have 
dwindled  down  to  one-half  the  original  number  on 
account  of  the  intense  heat,  they  are  not  willing  to 
close  the  term  without  some  kind  of  commencement 
exercises;  and  for  the  occasion  have  adopted  the 
Western  plan  of  doing  in  half  a  day  what  requires 
an  Eastern  college  half  a  year  to  accomplish!" 

Beginning  of  Troublous  Times. — Before  the 
opening  of  the  second  school  year  Mr.  Seccombe 
was  elected  "  Senior  Professor,"  with  teaching  of 
Latin  and  Greek  among  his  functions.  To  the 
executive  committee  was  given  power  to  send  him 
East  for  funds  whenever  they  deemed  best;  but 
for  the  present  his  duties  took  him  out  again  among 
the  churches  to  collect  additional  funds,  of  which 
the  institution  was  beginning  to  be  in  most  imper- 
ative need.  A  committee  of  conference  had  reported 
that  enlarged  accommodations  were  required; 
more  teachers  also ;  while  expenditures  were  greater 
than  the  income,  salaries  were  in  arrears,  etc. 
Therefore  the  conference  suggested  an  appeal  for  a 
second  $10,000.  But  before  this  was  undertaken, 
as  if  to  demonstrate  to  the  most  incredulous  that 
a  substantial  and  comely  college  building  was 
actually  in  mind,  and  would  presently  appear,  a 
suitable  spot  was  selected  upon  the  college  grounds, 
and  though  without  much  attention  to  size  or  form, 
the  general  outline  was  fixed  and  each  member  of 


126          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

the  board  dropped  a  stone  where  the  southwest 
corner  was  to  be.  During  the  summer  the  contract 
was  let  for  excavating  the  basement.  It  was  under 
such  depressing  circumstances  that  Mr.  Seccombe  set 
forth  upon  his  mission.  The  year  before,  his  suc- 
cess had  been  phenomenal;  but  now  almost  com- 
plete failure  was  destined  to  attend  his  efforts; 
and  almost  wholly  because  the  situation  had 
changed,  rather  than  through  any  defect  on  his  part. 
It  was  while  in  the  midst  of  this  well  nigh  fruit- 
less campaign,  that  he  wrote  from  Zumbrota  his 
"  valedictory "  to  the  Home  Missionary  Society 
using  language,  especially  in  the  closing  portion, 
which  is  indeed  patnetic  in  view  of  the  bitter  dis- 
appointment impending.  He  says  :  "  I  could  easily 
shed  many  a  tear,  if  it  were  not  that  the  work  to 
which  God  has  called  me  is  so  intimately  connected 
with  the  same  service.  As  I  look  upon  the  young 
men  and  young  women  connected  with  Northfield 
College,  I  feel  as  if  no  more  favored  opportunity 
of  doing  good  could  possibly  be  presented  to  one 
than  is  presented  by  the  call  to  labor  for  such  a 
class  and  under  such  circumstances.  Would  that  I 
could  know  that  my  success  in  helping  to  raise  up 
laborers  would  be  equal  to  the  opportunity." 

During  the  year  ensuing  the  darkness  steadily 
deepened  until  it  could  almost  be  felt.  It  was  in 
May,  1869,  when  the  basement  walls  were  nearly 
completed,  and  preparations  were  in  progress  for 
laying  the  corner  stone,  that  Mr.  Goodsell,  the  real 


THE  SIXTIES,  2  127 

founder  of  Carleton,  was  called  from  all  earthly 
toils  and  achievements  to  his  reward  on  high ;  with- 
out whom,  to  say  the  least,  there  would  have  been 
no  institution  of  learning  in  Northfield,  none  either 
with  the  same  name  and  history.  We  have  al- 
ready learned  that  for  more  than  a  decade  it  had 
been  his  heart's  desire  to  render  efficient  service  in 
starting  a  Christian  school,  "a  Northwestern  Ober- 
lin,"  and  that  in  selecting  a  home  and  investing 
his  means  in  Minnesota,  this  was  his  controlling 
idea.  With  prayer  and  labor  unceasing  he  had  en- 
deavored to  lead  the  Northfield  church  and  com- 
munity out  into  fitness  to  receive  and  readiness  to 
foster  such  an  institution;  arousing  the  interest  of 
his  fellow  citizens,  and  by  his  example  of  generous 
giving  inspiring  them  also  to  open  their  purses. 
When  all  the  facts  in  the  case  are  considered,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  through  all  the  early  days, 
he  beyond  comparison  was  the  chief  personal  force. 
Mr.  Scriver  has  informed  us  how  much  the  board 
leaned  upon  his  leadership  and  counsel.  Yes,  and 
alas,  too  much.  He  was  competent  and  willing, 
but  was  overburdened.  Both  flesh  and  spirit  at 
length  found  the  task  by  far  too  hard.  Anxieties 
of  divers  kinds  weighed  down  his  mind,  especially 
with  regard  to  the  finances,  the  failure  to  secure 
the  new  building  through  lack  of  funds.  He  was 
filled  with  apprehension  that  failure  was  inevitable 
and  not  far  off.  As  early  as  November  of  1867, 
only  a  few  weeks  after  the  first  recitations  began, 


128          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

we  find  the  board  voting  "  thanks  to  Mr.  Goodsell 
for  his  untiring  labors  and  success  in  the  beautiful 
and  appropriate  fitting  up  of  the  building,  and  we 
assure  him  of  our  sympathy  with  him  in  his  ill 
health,  and  earnestly  pray  for  his  speedy  restora- 
tion." But  bodily  infirmities  steadily  increased, 
and  no  doubt  in  large  measure  from  this  cause, 
a  deep  gloom  took  possession  within.  His  mental 
condition  is  revealed  in  his  letter  of  resignation  as 
trustee,  presented  to  the  board  May  19,  1868,  in 
which  he  says  he  is  "constrained  to  the  act  by  im- 
paired health  and  growing  infirmities.  Nothing 
short  of  an  imperative  necessity  for  freedom  from 
the  care  and  responsibility  of  the  place  would  induce 
me  to  make  this  request.  By  the  necessity  of  this 
act  the  hopes  of  half  my  life  are  blasted.  It  is  the 
Lord's  will,  and  I  try  to  submit  cheerfully."  He 
lingered  a  year  longer,  and  until  May  3,  1869, 
"  failing  in  health  and  hope,  and  believing  the  great 
object  of  his  life  utterly  lost,  died  almost  heart- 
broken." At  the  next  meeting  of  the  trustees  it 
was: 

"  Resolved,  That,  as  a  board,  we  see  the  hand 
of  God  in  the  early  and  long-cherished  desire  of 
C.  M.  Goodsell,  Esq.,  to  be  instrumental  in  found- 
ing a  Christian  college  in  Minnesota;  also  in  the 
gradually  and  prayerfully  formed  purpose  at  length 
on  his  part  to  undertake  it ;  also  in  the  disinterested 
plan  of  friendly  competition  proposed  by  him, 
which  resulted  in  the  choice  of  Northfield  by  our 


THE  SIXTIES,  2  129 

conference  as  the  place  for  the  college;  also  in  the 
stimulus  he  was  enabled  to  impart  to  the  benevolence 
of  others  by  the  way  in  which  he  applied  his  own 
gifts  to  the  founding  of  the  college;  also  in  the 
efficient  and  wise  supervision  he  was  enabled  to 
render  at  the  outset  in  the  matter  of  purchasing  and 
fitting  up  the  preparatory  building,  and  securing 
the  first  teacher  •  and  that  we  recognize  no  less  the 
same  divine  hand  in  the  physical  and  mental  dis- 
ability which  then  soon  fell  upon  him  and  followed 
him  to  the  end ;  disappointing  our  expectations  and 
disheartening  temporarily  the  friends  and  patrons 
of  the  college,  by  suddenly  cutting  us  off  from  that 
which  had  been,  perhaps  too  exclusively,  our  main 
reliance  for  success  in  this  enterprise,  viz :  the  wis- 
dom and  strength  of  our  departed  brother;  and 
that  we  bow  submissively  and  cheerfully  to  the 
providential  necessity  thus  created  for  us  to  assume 
heavier  burdens  for  the  college  ourselves,  and  to 
strive  habitually  to  obtain  the  Lord's  help  and  guid- 
ance in  so  doing." 

Let  the  manuscript  of  Mr.  Scriver  inform  us 
concerning  some  of  the  immediate  results  of  this 
same  sad,  and  to  human  vision  also  most  untimely 
event.  "Previous  to  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone, 
Mr.  Goodsell's  death  occurred,  an  event  which  cast 
a  gloom  over  the  friends  of  the  college  in  the  com- 
munity. It  had  been  generally  understood  that  he 
had  become  quite  disheartened  concerning  the  en- 
terprise, not  perhaps  looking  upon  it  as  an  entire 


130          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

failure,  but  at  least  with  failure  among  the  strong 
probabilities.  This  fact,  connected  with  his  well 
known  sagacity,  courage  and  great  faith  in  his  un- 
dertakings, produced  a  feeling  of  discouragement 
among  the  friends  of  the  school,  and  when  he  went 
to  his  reward  some  were  not  backward  in  express- 
ing the  belief  that  the  final  catastrophe  was  near; 
while  others  counted  as  friends,  though  not  actually 
arrayed  against  it,  lost  faith  and  withdrew  the 
moral  support  so  much  needed  now  that  the  days 
of  trial  were  nigh.  Especially  did  the  resident  trus- 
tees feel  the  burden  weighing  heavily  upon  them, 
when  they  found  themslves  confronted  with  a  work 
which  grew  upon  their  hands,  and  which  only  a 
strong  faith  in  an  overruling  Providence  prevented 
them  from  giving  up  altogether." 

It  happened  fortunately  that  just  now,  in  the 
midst  of  this  which  was  probably  Carleton's  dark- 
est day,  a  little  gleam  of  cheering  light  broke  in, 
of  which  also  let  Mr.  Scriver's  pen  tell  us :  "  When 
the  day  fixed  for  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone, 
June  29,  drew  near,  notice  of  the  important  event 
was  duly  given.  Speakers  from  abroad  were  an- 
nounced and  the  people  were  cordially  invited  to 
attend;  Mr.  Seccombe  doing  all  he  could  to  arouse 
an  interest,  deeming  it  important  that  the  com- 
munity should  fully  understand  that  the  college 
was  going  forward,  so  that  those  who  were  still 
behind  in  their  payments  might  be  encouraged  to 
meet  their  pledges,  and  thus  furnish  the  funds  of 


THE  SIXTIES,  2  131 

which  there  was  such  pressing  need.  A  band  of 
children  was  then  passing  through  the  country 
giving  concerts  on  brass  instruments,  who  happened 
to  be  in  Northfield  just  at  this  time.  They  were 
invited  to  lead  the  procession,  which  was  to  be 
formed  at  the  Congregational  church  and  march 
to  the  grounds.  Mr.  Seccombe  considered  this  a 
fortunate  circumstance,  and  a  good  omen  for  the 
infant  school.  The  day  was  beautiful  and  the  ex- 
ercises opened  with  declamations,  essays,  orations 
and  music  by  the  students.  The  building  could  not 
contain  the  audience.  The  procession  then  moved, 
the  children's  band  in  front,  and  the  ceremonies 
were  performed  in  an  impressive  manner  in  the 
presence  of  some  five  or  six  hundred.  Stirring  ad- 
dresses were  made  by  Prof.  Seccombe,  Rev.  E.  S. 
Williams  and  Hon.  M.  H.  Dunnell,  to  which  the 
response  was  hearty.  The  effects  of  the  day's  do- 
ings were  excellent  and  manifold."  Within  the 
corner-stone  was  placed  a  box  containing,  besides 
divers  documents,  the  names  of  all  contributors  to 
the  Founders'  Fund,  whether  citizens  of  Northfield 
or  of  the  state  at  large,  numbering  no  less  than 
1,192.  It  appears  that  the  children  had  received 
a  special  invitation  to  contribute  to  this  Fund, 
with  the  promise  that  whoever  was  the  donor  of 
as  much  as  a  half-dollar  should  have  his  name 
handed  down  the  ages  within  the  recesses  of  the 
box.  A  dozen  or  two  responded,  and  the  story  is 
that  one  of  them,  having  a  second  half-dollar  re- 


132          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

maining  and  waxing  enthusiastic,  exclaimed: 
"  Why  not  put  that  in  too,  so  that  the  building 
can  go  right  up !  " 

Concerning  the  general  situation  upon  the 
brighter  side  as  this  decade  was  closing,  we  gather 
some  information  from  two  sources.  First,  in  the 
autumn  of  1869  Rev.  A.  K.  Packard,  then  presi- 
dent of  the  board,  wrote  in  the  "  Home  Mission- 
ary "  :  "  Christian  parents  who  wish  to  secure  most 
favorable  moral  and  religious  influences  for  their 
sons  and  daughters,  together  with  excellent  instruc- 
tion and  the  advantages  of  our  climate,  may  send 
them  with  the  firmest  confidence  to  Northfield  Col- 
lege. It  has  a  beautiful  location  in  one  of  our 
best  towns  in  respect  to  moral  and  religious  in- 
fluences and  the  character  of  its  people.  It  has 
been  often  and  justly  said  that  no  college  in  the 
West  has  had  so  auspicious  a  beginning.  Nowhere 
away  from  their  parents  can  young  men  and  women 
find  pleasanter  homes  and  happier  influences.  Mem- 
bers of  the  recent  conference  and  strangers  present, 
were  much  interested  in  respect  to  the  present  con- 
dition and  character,  as  well  as  the  future  plans 
and  prospects  of  the  college."  Again,  December  6, 
appeared  an  "  Historical  and  Financial  Report  of 
Northfield  College,  from  the  Commencement  to  the 
Present  Time,  Given  by  the  Executive  Commit- 
tee," which  says  in  part :  "  The  plan  for  the  erec- 
tion of  a  new  building  for  the  Preparatory  De- 
partment was  abandoned,  as  it  seemed  preferable  to 


THE  SIXTIES,  2  133 

purchase  and  refit  one  already  erected;  and  we  are 
confident  that  this  measure  cannot  fail  to  meet  the 
hearty  approval  of  all  true  friends  of  the  college 
who  are  well-informed  respecting  the  whole  mat- 
ter; for  thereby  the  college  has  a  building  well- 
adapted  to  its  use.  The  first  story  has  a  chapel,  two 
recitation  rooms,  and  a  reception  room.  Ladies 
occupy  the  second  story  and  gentlemen  the  third. 
The  cash  value  of  the  building  is  greater  than  its 
cost,  and  it  is  one  that  will  be  permanently  needed 
for  the  boarding  department,  and  either  for  the 
preparatory  department  or  for  the  ladies'  depart- 
ment of  the  college  proper;  and  also  the  college 
is  now  by  this  means  two  years  in  advance  of  what 
it  could  have  been  otherwise." 

During  the  first  term  of  the  first  year,  47  stu- 
dents were  in  attendance;  57  the  second  term  and 
38  the  third.  During  the  second  year  the  numbers 
were  respectively  63,  73  and  33.  During  the  third 
year  a  falling  off  appears  to  49  the  first  term  and 
to  65  the  second.  Of  the  number  last  given  only 
12  were  women.  For  the  first  three  years  consid- 
erably more  than  one-third  of  the  students  were 
residents  of  Northfield.  The  second  catalogue, 
appearing  in  the  summer  of  1869,  contains  some 
facts  of  interest.  Rev.  Charles  Seccombe  appears 
as  "senior  professor,  instructor  of  Latin  and 
Greek,"  and  Mrs.  Hattie  M.  Seccombe,  as  "  teacher 
of  music."  The  public  is  informed  that  a  "  library 
has  been  commenced  with  375  volumes  already 


134  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

upon  the  shelves,  a  cabinet  of  minerals  and  curiosi- 
ties, and  a  well  appointed  reading  room,  the  latter 
through  the  liberality  of  the  press."  The  first  book 
possessed  by  this  institution  of  learning  was  a  $5.00 
copy  of  Shakespeare,  secured  as  a  premium  from 
"  The  Advance "  for  a  club  of  subscribers ;  that 
paper  being  then  in  its  first  days.  The  first  col- 
lege Bible  came  as  the  product  of  the  sale  of  some 
Latin  books,  and  was  afterwards  stolen  (!!)  from 
the  platform  of  Willis  Hall.  A  second  building 
now  comes  into  notice,  originally  a  store,  the  gift 
of  Hiram  Scriver,  two  stories  high,  standing  at  the 
west  of  the  quondam  hotel;  supplying  a  number 
of  comfortable  rooms  for  such  young  men  as  de- 
sired to  economize  by  boarding  themselves;  and 
for  half  a  generation  popularly  known  as  "  Pan- 
cake Hall."  The  third  annual  catalogue  bears  the 
date  of  June,  1870,  and  at  various  points  indicates 
advance  beyond  anything  attained  by  its  predeces- 
sors. This  is  the  faculty  in  full  array : 

* ,  President. 

Rev.  Charles  Seccombe,  Senior  Professor. 

Acting  Financial  Agent. 

Horace  Goodhue,  Jr.,  A.B.,  Prin.  Prep.  Department. 

Instructor  of  Greek  and  Mathematics. 

Francis  H.  Atkins,  S.B.,  M.D., 

Instructor  of  Natural  Sciences. 

Miss  Sarah  A.  Dow,  A.M.,  Preceptress, 

Instructress  of  Latin  and  English  Branches. 

*  To  be  elected  at  the  approaching  anniversary. 


THE  SIXTIES,  2  135 

Announcements :  College  Department.  This  De- 
partment opens  with  the  next  college  year,  upon 
the  seventh  day  of  September;  the  present  senior 
class  of  the  preparatory  department  uniting  with 
others  who  may  come  to  form  the  first  freshman 
class."  After  the  requisites  for  admission,  and  the 
course  of  study,  follow  the  names  of  160  different 
students  who  had  been  in  attendance  during  the 
year,  14  of  them  in  the  classical  course,  88  in  the 
English  course  and  the  remaining  53  seemingly 
mere  transient  seekers  after  knowledge,  dropping 
in  for  a  few  weeks.  In  the  senior  class  of  the 
classical  course  these  names  appear,  with  their  resi- 
dence and  rooms: 

Names.  Residence.  Rooms. 

Charles  H.  Colman,  Mitchell,  Iowa,  Mr.  Webster's. 

James  J.  Dow,  St.  Charles,  Scriver's  Hall. 

Robert  F.  Dunton,  Northfield,  Mrs.  Keene's. 

Bayard  T.  Holmes,  Lansing,  College. 

Frank  J.  Wilcox,  Northfield,  Rev.    Mr.   Wilcox's. 

Lizzie  C.  Lee,  Northfield,  Mr.  Lee's. 

Minnie  H.  Wheaton,  Northfield,  Mr.  Wheaton's. 

The  Scriver's  Hall  named  above  is  identical  with 
"Pancake  Hall."  "  The  boarding  department  is 
under  the  excellent  management  of  Rev.  N.  H. 
Pierce.  Board  is  payable  every  two  weeks  in  ad- 
vance. The  principal  and  preceptress  have  rooms 
in  the  college.  Ample  provision  is  made  for  self- 
boarding;  and  by  this  means  some  students  have 
reduced  the  expense  nearly  one-half.  The  library 
now  contains  633  volumes.  A  well  equipped  read- 


136  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

ing  room  is  furnished  to  the  students  through  the 
liberality  of  the  press.  It  is  earnestly  desired  that 
the  friends  of  the  college  will  continue  their  gen- 
erous interest  in  these  departments,  and  help  the 
officers  to  materially  enrich  them  the  coming  year." 

The  anniversary  exercises  of  1870  were  held  June 
27-28,  the  annual  address  being  given  by  Rev.  E. 
B.  Wright  of  Stillwater,  upon  "Mr.  Greatheart." 

The  Darkness  Deepens. — The  last  three  years  of 
the  decade  brought  little  but  trial  and  sorrow  to 
those  who  had  the  welfare  of  the  college  deeply 
at  heart.  The  laying  of  the  corner-stone  afforded 
a  few  hours  of  cheer,  and  that  was  all,  for  no  build- 
ing operations  followed ;  while  the  financial  distress 
not  only  continued  but  increased.  To  quote  once 
more  from  the  paper  of  Mr.  Scriver  :  "Early  in  1870 
it  had  become  evident  that  only  radical  measures 
appfied  at  once  could  avert  a  fatal  catastrophe. 
Such  were  the  dire  straits  when  a  meeting  was  held 
in  Northfield  of  the  few  friends  who  still  had  faith 
in  the  enterprise,  who  also  showed  their  faith  by 
their  works  in  again  pledging  themselves.  Still 
the  outlook  was  disheartening,  and  it  seemed  doubt- 
ful whether  Mr.  Seccombe,  after  a  whole  year's 
trial,  would  succeed  in  raising  sufficient  funds  to 
pay  his  own  salary.  Under  the  circumstances  the 
conclusion  irresistibly  forced  itself  upon  the  trus- 
tees that  the  expenses  of  the  school  must  be  reduced. 
This  led  to  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Seccombe,  and 
his  final  separation  from  the  work  with  which  he 


THE  SIXTIES,  2  137 

had  been  so  closely  identified,  and  for  which  at 
first  he  had  really  accomplished  so  much.  It  was  a 
painful  necessity  but  also  one  which  involved  the 
very  life  of  the  school."  Or,  to  tell  the  doleful 
story  in  other  language,  a  complication  of  troubles 
had  befallen  this  enterprise  so  bravely  launched  four 
years  before,  and  which  had  kindled  so  much  en- 
thusiasm and  expectation.  The  most  alarming  lack 
was  found  in  the  realm  of  finance.  As  we  saw,  the 
autumn  before  the  conference  had  recommended  an 
effort  to  raise  a  second  $10,000,  but  no  immediate 
steps  were  taken  to  secure  pledges.  As  far  back 
as  July,  1868,  Mr.  Seccombe  had  been  elected  senior 
professor,  that  is,  quasi-president,  with  a  committee 
also  appointed  to  visit  Zumbrota  "  to  obtain  his  re- 
lease from  the  church  so  that  he  may  accept  the 
situation  proffered  him";  with  a  half-formed  pur- 
pose of  sending  him  East  for  money.  In  May  of 
the  year  following,  at  the  time  of  laying  the 
corner-stone,  the  board  appointed  a  committee  "  to 
confer  with  Mr.  Seccombe  with  reference  to  his 
connection  with  the  college  during  the  ensuing  year. 
The  same  day  it  was  voted  that  he  be  tendered  a 
salary  of  $1,000,  expenses,  and  five  per  cent,  on  all 
over  $10,000  in  a  canvass  for  the  institution;  and 
his  duties  to  be  to  attend  to  its  financial  affairs." 
This  change  of  functions  seems  to  have  been  made 
in  part  because  his  success  as  a  teacher  had  been 
questionable.  And  finally  a  year  later,  after  his 
failure  in  the  canvass,  a  committee  was  delegated 


138          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

"to  communicate  to  Professor  Seccombe  that  the 
board  regrets  the  necessity  of  informing  him  that 
they  have  no  further  services  for  him  to  perform, 
and  no  funds  to  pay  any  further  salary."  He  re- 
signed at  once,  both  as  senior  professor  and  trus- 
tee; but  by  declining  to  accept  his  resignation  of 
the  trusteeship,  the  board  requested  him  to  continue 
to  serve  in  the  latter  position.  Though  the  language 
of  the  notification  may  have  been  needlessly  em- 
phatic to  the  borders  of  bluntness,  yet  the  action 
was  without  doubt  fully  justified  by  dire  necessity, 
the  individual  suffering  loss  for  the  benefit  of  the 
institution. 

To  make  a  lamentably  bad  matter  much  worse  for 
the  chief  sufferer  in  the  case,  having  been  elected 
senior  professor,  Mr.  Seccombe  naturally  regarded 
his  connection  with  the  college  as  no  mere  tempo- 
rary one,  and  therefore  (not  being  over-endowed 
with  prudence  and  worldly  wisdom),  proceeded  to 
provide  a  home  for  his  family ;  for  the  purpose  pur- 
chasing a  lot  and  building  a  house,  over-large  and 
costly  for  the  time  and  the  circumstances.  Not 
far  from  the  date  of  his  dismissal,  this  notice  ap- 
peared in  the  local  paper :  "  The  students  and 
teachers  were  invited  to  the  dedication  of  Mr.  Sec- 
combe's  house  just  finished.  It  is  large,  is  warmed 
by  a  furnace,  and  has  some  pleasant  rooms."  In 
meting  out  such  large  sympathy  as  is  certainly  his 
due,  we  are  not  to  forget  that  his  failure  in  his 
second  canvass  was  the  result  of  causes  beyond  his 


THE  SIXTIES,  2  139 

control.  It  was  undertaken  much  too  soon  after  the 
first.  But  even  more,  the  school  had  not  met  the 
anticipations  of  the  many ;  so  that  fault-finding  and 
suspicion  were  abroad.  It  had  been  commonly  re- 
ported that  Mr.  Goodsell  was  to  leave  a  snug  sum 
to  the  college,  and  when  it  came  out  that  no  men- 
tion was  made  of  it  in  his  will,  the  inference  was 
widely  drawn  that  its  chief  friend  and  patron 
had  lost  all  faith  in  its  future.  Therefore  Rev.  Ed- 
ward Brown  only  voiced  the  general  sentiment 
when  he  said  on  the  floor  of  the  conference :  "  There 
is  something  wrong  somewhere.  Let  us  see  what  it 
is  before  we  give."  In  June,  1870,  at  the  same 
meeting  at  which  his  resignation  was  practically 
compelled,  the  board  issued  this  manifesto  and 
sharp  cry  of  distress :  "  In  view  of  the  fact  that 
the  subscriptions  specifically  made  for  the  erection 
of  the  college  building  are  to  so  large  an  extent 
unpaid,  it  will  be  practically  impossible  to  go  on 
with  the  erection  this  season  and  we  would  earn- 
estly request  the  subscribers  to  meet  their  pledges 
as  soon  as  possible,  with  the  assurance  on  our  part 
that  such  funds  shall  be  sacredly  devoted  to  the 
object  intended,  and  the  executive  committee  are 
instructed  to  carry  out  these  views,  making  prepar- 
ation for  the  erection  early  next  spring." 

A  few  further  words  are  called  for  concerning 
Mr.  Seccombe,  that  most  devout,  consecrated  and 
self-sacrificing  man.  Through  no  transgression  or 
avoidable  shortcoming  he  was  called  seriously  to 


140           HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

suffer.  And  not  only  in  sensibilities  but  also  upon 
the  material  side.  Without  financial  resources  of 
his  own,  when  he  came  to  build  it  became  neces- 
sary to  borrow  the  amount  required.  And  scarcely 
was  his  family  gathered  in  the  new  home  when  the 
stroke  fell.  Nor  was  it  long  before  the  property 
had  passed  into  other  hands.  For  years  the  building 
was  known  as  the  Seccombe  House,  and  then  pass- 
ing into  the  hands  of  the  college  was  transformed 
at  length  into  Music  Hall.  This  passage  in  the  early 
history  of  Carleton  takes  rank  with  two  others  to 
constitute  the  pathetic,  well  nigh  the  tragic,  element, 
with  which,  somehow,  the  very  noblest  undertakings 
are  almost  certain  to  be  attended.  Why  is  it  that 
only  through  the  suffering  of  the  few  the  many  are 
most  richly  blessed  ?  Mr.  Goodsell  prayed  and  toiled 
and  hoped  and  feared,  for  ten  long  years ;  but  "  died 
without  the  sight."  Next  Mr.  Seccombe  played  his 
part  unselfishly  and  to  the  utmost  of  his  ability,  to 
be  almost  rudely  thrust  aside.  But  the  measure  of 
vicarious  suffering  was  not  yet  full,  as  from  a  later 
chapter  we  shall  see,  when  we  take  note  how  mar- 
velously,  by  means  of  accident  well  nigh  mortal, 
succeeded  by  protracted  bodily  suffering  and  disa- 
bility, the  college  was  lifted  into  prosperity. 


JOSEPH  LEE   HEYWOOD. 


THE  SEVENTIES,  i  141 


CHAPTER   V. 

THE  SEVENTIES,  I. 

Election  of  a  President. 

Minnesota.  —  This  commonwealth  had  now 
reached  the  close  of  ancient  primitive  conditions, 
of  the  experimental  stage  of  growth.  Hitherto  all 
efforts  in  every  sphere  had  been  relatively  but  feeble 
and  puny ;  but  during  the  next  period  to  pass  under 
view,  society  was  to  emerge  from  the  infantile  and 
inchoate,  if  not  at  once  into  what  was  truly  virile, 
at  least  into  the  lusty  vigor  of  youth  and  adoles- 
cence. The  transformation  was  of  the  same  phe- 
nomenal kind  whether  upon  the  material  or  spiritual 
side  of  things.  An  unprecedented  rush  set  in  for 
homes  in  the  frontier  counties,  which  two  or  three 
years  of  grasshopper  visitations  were  scarcely  able 
to  check.  From  the  older  southeastern  portion  of 
the  state  hosts  of  immigrants  were  pushing  rapidly 
towards  the  western  border,  from  which  the  Sioux 
had  recently  been  expelled,  and  as  well  towards  the 
north  and  northwest.  When  the  decade  opened  the 
population  stood  at  439,706;  but  by  its  close  had 
advanced  to  780,773.  The  growth  of  the  two  chief 
cities  well  sets  forth  the  general  development.  St. 
Paul  more  than  doubled  the  number  of  its  inhabit- 
ants, rising  from  20,300  to  41,473;  while  Minne- 


142          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

apolis  fairly  leaped  up  from  18,9/9  to  46,887; 
thanks  largely  to  the  utilization  of  its  magnificent 
water-power  through  the  construction  of  saw-mills 
and  flouring-mills.  Besides,  scores  of  villages  were 
blossoming  out  into  ambitious  cities.  Duluth's  day 
was  not  yet  come,  its  site  being  as  yet  an  unbroken 
forest  in  1860;  and  all  St.  Louis  county  holding  but 
406  inhabitants.  In  1870  this  "Zenith  City  of  the 
Unsalted  Seas"  was  a  municipality  of  numberless 
stumps,  with  a  population  of  4,500  scattered  here 
and  there  among  them.  Agricultural  development 
kept  full  pace  with  immigration,  the  cultivated  area 
swelling  from  1,725,111  acres  to  4,090,034;  the 
wheat  crop  from  18,866,073  bushels  to  34,601,030; 
oats  from  23,382,158  to  36,978,079.  In  1860  the 
value  of  the  flour  exported  was  a  round  $1,300, 
but  in  the  opening  year  of  the  seventies  had  gone 
forward  to  $5,718,887,  and  in  the  closing  year  to 
$41,519,004!  This  almost  incredible  advance  had 
been  greatly  facilitated,  indeed  had  been  made  pos- 
sible, by  the  development  of  the  railway  system  of 
the  state,  in  keeping  also  with  that  of  the  entire 
country.  A  half  dozen  lines  were  pushing  across 
from  the  Mississippi  westward,  or  northward  to- 
wards Lake  Superior,  or  northwestward  towards 
Manitoba  or  the  Pacific.  In  particular  the  St.  Paul 
&  Pacific  opened  to  settlement  the  most  fertile  valley 
of  the  Red  River  of  the  North,  while  the  Northern 
Pacific,  chartered  by  Congress  in  1864,  with  ground 
broken  in  1870  before  its  temporary  collapse,  was 


THE  SEVENTIES,  i 

completed  to  the  Missouri  at  Bismarck.  The  num- 
ber of  miles  of  completed  track  increased  from 
1,092  to  3,099. 

Congregationalism. — This  period,  in  which  five 
colleges  were  founded — Doane,  Drury,  Colorado, 
Smith  and  Wellesley — opened  well  for  the  denom- 
ination at  large,  through  the  famous  gathering  from 
the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  of  the  representatives  of 
the  churches  for  fraternal  conference  in  the  Oberlin 
Council  of  1871,  the  first  of  a  triennial  series  of 
such  assemblages,  and  where  the  moderator,  Dr. 
Budington,  at  the  laying  of  the  corner  stone  of 
"Council  Hall,"  proclaimed  with  truth :  "We  stand 
upon  the  grave  of  buried  prejudices."  From  hence- 
forth, as  never  before,  the  Congregational  churches 
of  the  United  States  were  to  be  joined  together  as 
one  body  in  Christian  fellowship  and  cooperation 
in  all  manner  of  good  works.  This  council  was 
especially  marked  by  the  impulse  given  to  home 
missions,  and  so  far  reaching  was  the  effect  of  the 
action  taken  it  deserves  a  brief  review.  Some  criti- 
cisms had  been  made  upon  the  methods  of  the 
American  Home  Missionary  Society.  Papers  were 
read  by  Revs.  Drs.  J.  E.  Roy  and  W.  E.  Merriman 
and  referred  to  a  special  committee  whose  report 
was  based  upon  this  expressed  conviction:  "We 
have  but  found  our  work ;  we  have  but  touched  the 
skirts  of  our  enterprise  in  its  breadth  and  vital 
relations."  They  recommended  the  organization  of 
state  societies  and  the  appointment  of  a  special  com- 


144          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

mittee  to  confer  with  the  national  society,  and  ar- 
range with  their  executive  committee  a  plan  for  ef- 
ficient and  harmonious  cooperation.  An  evening 
was  devoted  to  the  discussion  of  this  report  and 
the  occasion  was  one  of  extraordinary  interest  and 
enthusiasm.  The  recommendations  were  adopted 
by  a  rising  vote  and  the  vast  assembly  broke  forth 
in  singing:  "I  love  thy  Kingdom,  Lord."  It  was 
an  hour  memorable  for  its  uplifting  power. 

The  proposed  conference  of  the  council  commit- 
tee, of  which  President  Kitchel  was  chairman  and 
President  Strong  was  secretary,  was  held  with  the 
executive  committee  of  the  national  society  at  New 
York  in  January,  1872,  and  resulted  in  the  adoption 
of  a  plan,  with  the  simplest  organization  possible, 
for  state  home  missionary  societies  which  have  been 
and  still  are  so  effective.  The  Minnesota  society 
was  organized  the  next  October,  and  also  the  "Cent 
Society"  which  became  the  parent  of  the  "Woman's 
Home  Missionary  Society."  Thus  upon  the 
churches  of  the  state  was  laid  the  chief  responsi- 
bility for  missionary  work  within  its  bounds. 

In  Minnesota  the  churches  multiplied  from  68  to 
135,  an  increase  of  67.  Ten  were  organized  within 
the  limits  of  a  single  year.  The  membership  grew 
from  3,028  to  6,617,  an  advance  of  3,589;  thus,  like 
the  number  of  churches,  more  than  doubling.  The 
average  of  members  rose  from  44  to  49,  and  the 
organizations  having  100  communicants  or  over 
went  forward  from  7  to  17.  The  beneficences  went 


THE  SEVENTIES,  i  145 

forward  from  $3,058  to  $10,543,  or  making  a  more 
than  three-fold  increase.  To  the  three  local  con- 
ferences already  existing,  Winona,  Owatonna  and 
Anoka,  these  two  were  added :  Western,  composed 
of  churches  located  upon  the  upper  Minnesota 
river;  and  Northern  Pacific,  whose  name  discloses 
the  chief  material  cause  of  new  communities  for 
which  new  churches  were  demanded.  In  1871  the 
northwest  frontier  was  reported  to  be  at  Fergus 
Falls,  from  which  a  missionary  wrote  in  August: 
"A  year  ago  there  was  but  one  house  here,  where 
now  there  are  forty,  and  many  more  will  go  up  this 
season."  But  no  schoolhouse  had  yet  been  built. 
The  next  year  two  missionaries  are  reported  as  at 
work  upon  the  line  of  the  Winona  &  St.  Peter  R.  R. 
In  1873  RCV-  Richard  Hall,  after  serving  as  home 
missionary  superintendent  for  seventeen  years,  re- 
signed, leaving  81  churches  where  he  had  found 
but  5  in  1856,  and  3,855  communicants  in  place  of 
150.  It  had  not  seldom  been  his  lot  to  come  into 
sharp  conflict  with  some  New  School  Presbyterian 
brethren  who  were  over-eager  to  proselyte  in  com- 
munities where,  almost  to  a  man,  the  population 
was  composed  of  New  England  stock,  and  was  thus 
to  the  Congregational  manner  born.  Rev.  L.  H. 
Cobb,  who  came  from  a  Vermont  pastorate,  soon 
took  up  the  task  of  pushing  with  tireless  energy, 
of  bringing  new  churches  into  being  and  of  nourish- 
ing others  into  self-support,  especially  in  the  terri- 
tory recently  occupied  by  settlers  along  the  lines  of 


146          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

railroad.  He  remained  seven  years,  leaving  in  1881. 
The  seven  strongest  churches  at  the  beginning  of 
the  decade  were  these :  Minneapolis  Plymouth  245, 
Northfield  199,  Winona  167,  Faribault  First  117, 
Faribault  Plymouth  114,  Owatonna  112  and  Roch- 
ester in.  The  seventeen  of  ten  years  later  were 
these:  Minneapolis  Plymouth  548,  St.  Paul  Ply- 
mouth 416,  Northfield  333,  Winona  256,  Faribault 
225,  Austin  200,  Minneapolis  Second  179,  Owa- 
tonna 170,  Zumbrota  164,  Rochester  160,  Plainview 
148,  Minneapolis  First  (that  is,  St.  Anthony)  137, 
Mankato  136,  Spring  Valley  136,  Waseca  119,  Lake 
City  113  and  Excelsior  105.  The  same  year  the 
conference  adopted  and  recommended  to  the 
churches  a  plan  of  systematic  benevolence,  embrac- 
ing the  idea  of  making  giving  an  integral  part 
of  worship,  the  envelope  system,  presenting  in  the 
sanctuary  each  Sunday  a  fraction  of  the  amount 
subscribed,  and  a  division  of  gifts  according  to  a 
specified  percentage  among  the  various  general  ob- 
jects of  benevolence. 

Northfield  and  Its  Church. — Throughout  all  these 
ten  years  this  favored  community  was  receiving  its 
full  share  of  prosperity  and  enlargement.  To  an 
unusual  degree,  from  the  first  the  character  of  the 
population  had  been  excellent;  and  hence  steadily 
and  increasingly,  the  intelligent  and  earnest-hearted 
were  attracted  hither.  A  village  charter  was  se- 
cured in  1871,  and  four  years  later  a  city  charter, 
with  Hiram  Scriver  as  the  first  mayor  as  he  had 


THE  SEVENTIES,  I  147 

also  been  the  first  merchant.  Five  years  later  still, 
a  city  hall  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $3,000,  containing 
various  public  offices  and  a  jail.  Two  schoolhouses 
had  been  built  and  in  turn  been  also  outgrown ;  and 
in  1874  further  substantial  enlargement  was  de- 
manded. Therefore,  having  at  length  outlived  the 
day  of  wooden  structures  for  educational  purposes, 
a  two-story  brick  building  was  constructed  upon  a 
roomy  lot,  at  a  cost  of  $30,000,  containing  nine 
rooms  for  the  various  grades,  a  large  high  school 
room,  and  two  recitation  rooms.  That  same  year 
was  distinguished  by  another  event  relating  to  edu- 
cation, and  one  of  such  importance  as  to  be  second 
only  to  the  founding  of  Carleton  seven  years  before. 
Of  course,  the  reference  is  to  the  selection  of  North- 
field  as  the  seat  of  St.  Olaf  school  by  the  Norwegian 
Lutheran  Church,  with  Rev.  T.  N.  Mohn  as  princi- 
pal, opened  in  January,  1875,  in  the  building  re- 
cently vacated  by  the  public  school ;  though  soon  re- 
moved across  the  Cannon  to  the  top  of  Manitou 
Heights,  upon  the  edge  of  the  Big  Woods,  and 
in  the  midst  of  a  splendid  campus,  grown  since  to 
an  area  of  seventy-seven  acres.  In  1878  a  large 
brick  building,  two  stories  high,  was  ready  for  dedi- 
cation, costing  about  $20,000,  of  which  sum  the  citi- 
zens of  Northfield  contributed  nearly  one-third.  As 
we  might  expect,  at  an  early  day  a  newspaper  was 
both  desired  and  obtained.  After  some  agitation 
the  Hoag  Brothers  removed  their  "Cannon  Falls 
Bulletin"  in  1858,  transforming  it  into  the  "North- 


148          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

field  Journal,"  a  bonus  of  $500  having  been  offered, 
payable  mostly  in  real  estate,  Mr.  North  donating 
two  lots.  The  career  of  this  venture,  as  also  of  its 
successors  for  more  than  a  decade,  was  troubled 
and  tragic.  But  in  1872  the  "Rice  County  Journal" 
entered  upon  a  more  prosperous  career,  with 
Wheaton  &  Sanborn,  later  Wheaton  &  Pierce,  as 
proprietors.  The  "Northfield  News"  was  started  in 
1879. 

Mention  should  be  made  at  this  point  of  an  oc- 
currence in  the  state  which,  for  excitement  attend- 
ing, stands  easily  next  after  the  Sioux  outbreak  of 
1862,  and  which  for  a  time  lifted  this  community 
to  a  national  fame.  September  7,  1876,  this  quiet 
village  was  invaded  in  open  daylight  by  the  James- 
Younger  desperadoes  bent  upon  robbery.  That  is, 
soon  after  the  dinner  hour  eight  mounted  men  rode 
in  from  the  recesses  of  the  Big  Woods,  and  while 
five  remained  upon  the  street  and  opened  a  lively 
fusillade  to  frighten  the  citizens,  three  entered  the 
First  National  Bank,  one  covering  the  teller  and 
bookkeeper,  the  other  set  upon  J.  L.  Heywood  the 
cashier,  with  threats  and  curses  ordering  him  to 
open  the  vault ;  and  when  he  refused  knocking  him 
down,  firing  a  pistol  near  his  head  and  drawing  a 
bowie  knife  across  his  throat.  While  these  doings 
were  in  progress  inside,  indeed  almost  as  soon  as 
the  shooting  had  commenced,  a  return  fire  had 
begun  on  the  part  of  two  cool-headed  and  quick- 
witted citizens,  A.  R.  Manning-  and  H.  M.  Wheeler, 


THE  SEVENTIES,  i  149 

and  witH  aim  so  deadly  that  within  a  few  minutes 
two  of  the  would-be  robbers  lay  lifeless  on  the 
street,  a  third  was  badly  wounded,  and  the  survivors 
were  thinking  only  of  escape.  The  alarm  being 
given  at  the  door,  utterly  foiled  and  so  maddened, 
before  leaping  over  tEe  counter  the  bandit  having 
Heywood  in  charge  fired  a  shot  into  the  temple, 
which  proved  instantly  fatal.  Their  flight  was  for 
the  Big  Woods  and  southwestward  for  some  ten 
days,  with  hundreds  of  determined  men  in  hot  pur- 
suit. Two  made  their  escape,  but  the  four  remain- 
ing were  finally  surrounded  and  brought  to  bay,  of 
whom  one  was  slain  and  the  rest  surrendered,  to 
be  arraigned  in  due  season,  and  pleading  guilty,  to 
be  sentenced  to  imprisonment  for  life,*  though  after 
a  quarter  of  a  century  the  two  still  surviving  were 
released.  One  of  these  soon  committed  suicide. 

Mr.  Heywood's  business  ability  and  sterling  in- 
tegrity brought  him  into  many  positions  of  respon- 
sibility, among  which  was  that  of  treasurer  of 
Carleton  College.  A  memorial  window  in  the  Con- 
gregational church  bears  his  name  and  the  inscrip- 
tion: FIDELITAS.  No  word  could  better  char- 
acterize the  man  or  epitomize  his  life.  A  brass  tablet 
in  the  library  bears  this  legend: 


*  Under  the  state  law  at  that  time,  if  they  plead  guilty, 
they  could  be  sentenced  without  the  formality  of  a  trial,  to 
life-imprisonment ;  if  they  plead  not  guilty  and  were  con- 
victed, it  was  left  to  the  jury  to  decide  whether  the  death 
penalty  should  be  inflicted.  Knowing  perfectly  well  that 
hanging  could  be  escaped  only  by  the  former  course,  they 
waived  trial  and  were  soon  taken  to  Stillwater. 


150           HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

In 
GRATEFUL  MEMORY 

of 
JOSEPH  LEE  HEYWOOD, 

Formerly 
Treasurer  of  this'  College. 

Born  August  12,  1837. 

A  man  modest,  true  and  gentle;  diligent  in  business;  con- 
scientious in  duty;  a  citizen  benevolent  and  honorable; 
towards  God  reverent  and  loyal;  who,  while  defending  his 
trust  as  a  bank  officer,  fearlessly  met  death  at  the  hands 
of  armed  robbers,  in  Northfield,  Sept.  7,  1876. 


This  tablet  is  inscribed  by  his1  friends  as  a  tribute  to  heroic 

fidelity. 
ESTO  FIDELIS  USQUE  AD  MORTEM. 

Concerning  a  character  so  true  and  noble,  these 
words  spoken  at  the  funeral,  by  the  pastor,  deserve 
to  be  quoted :  "  Mr.  Heywood  was,  beyond  most 
men,  modest  and  timid.  He  shrank  from  the  pub- 
lic gaze;  and,  considering  his  high  gifts  and  his 
standing  in  the  community,  he  was  retiring  almost 
to  a  fault.  He  set  a  low  estimate  upon  himself.  He 
would  not  own  to  himself,  did  not  even  seem  to 
know  that  he  was  lovable  and  well-beloved.  He 
courted  no  praise  and  sought  no  reward.  Honors 
must  come  to  him  unsought  if  they  came  at  all.  He 
would  be  easily  content  to  toil  on,  out  of  sight  and 
with  services  unrecognized,  but  in  every  transaction* 
he  must  be  conscientious  through  and  through,  and 
do  each  hour  to  the  full  the  duties  of  the  hour. 
*  *  *  When  so  many  are  corrupt  and  venal, 
are  base  and  criminal,  in  the  discharge  of  public 


THE  SEVENTIES,  i  151 

duties,  the  spectacle  of  such  a  life  as  we  have  looked 
upon  is  worth  far  more  to  society  than  we  can  well 
reckon  up.  And  if,  as  a  result  of  last  Thursday's 
events,  those  just  entering  life,  and  we  all,  shall  be 
warned  of  the  evil  and  curse  of  transgression,  and 
be  reminded  of  the  surpassing  beauty  of  honor  and 
faithfulness,  and  in  addition  shall  catch  an  enthusi- 
asm of  integrity,  it  will  go  no  small  way  to  com- 
pensate for  the  terrible  shock  that  came  to  this  city, 
and  for  the  agony  that  has  fallen  upon  so  many 
hearts.  We  know  to-day  that  public  and  private 
worth  are  still  extant,  and  that  the  old  cardinal  vir- 
tues are  still  held  in  honor.  We  need  no  lantern  to 
find  a  man."* 

With  regard  to  the  Northfield  Congregational 
church  not  much  need  now  be  said.  The  day  of 
small  things  was  long  since  past.  A  position  had 
been  won  among  the  very  foremost  churches  in  the 
state,  both  for  membership  and  spiritual  excellence. 
Congregations  were  becoming  inconveniently  and 
embarrassingly  large.  For  nearly  two  years  after 


*Mr.  Heywood  had  been  trained  from  childhood,  espe- 
cially by  his  devout  and  conscientious  mother, — a  woman 
unwavering  in  her  moral  convictions, — to  the  love  of  truth, 
liberty  and  country.  His  enlistment  in  the  Union  Army 
came  almost  as  a  matter  of  course.  He  participated  in  the 
siege  of  Vicksburg  and  the  capture  of  Arkansas  Post;  but 
army  life  proved  too  severe  and  after  long  detention  in  a 
hospital  he  was  detailed  as  a  druggist  in  the  dispensary  at 
Nashville,  where  he  remained  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
Coming  to  Minnesota,  he  first  resided  in  Faribault,  but 
removed  to  Northfield  in  '67.  His  only  daughter,  May 
Heywood,  now  Mrs.  E.  C.  Dean,  of  Scranton,  Pa.,  was 
graduated  at  Carleton  in  1893. 


152  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

the  departure  of  Mr.  Williams  in  1870  no  successor 
was  found,  though  for  several  months  Rev.  Myron 
A.  Munson  of  Massachusetts  played  the  part  of 
acting  pastor  with  great  acceptance.  In  June  of 
1872  Rev.  J.  A.  Towle  accepted  a  call  to  the  pas- 
torate, whose  nearly  three  years'  stay  was  of  es- 
pecial and  enduring  value,  and  because  of  his  prom- 
inent part  in  introducing  and  thoroughly  launching 
the  admirable  plan  of  Christian  giving  just  then 
adopted  and  commended  by  the  state  conference. 
Next,  in  June,  1875,  Rev.  D.  L.  Leonard  com- 
menced a  pastorate  of  six  years'  continuance.  More 
than  once  during  his  stay  the  gracious  Spirit  was 
present  in  both  church  and  college  with  converting 
and  sanctifying  power,  in  particular  in  connection 
with  the  services  of  the  evangelists  Welton  and 
Updegraff.  During  this  pastorate  the  church  in- 
creased from  a  membership  of  250  to  one  of  335, 
Mr.  Leonard  receiving  142  in  all,  of  whom  102 
joined  upon  confession  of  faith. 

A  President  Chosen. — It  is  much  more  than  likely 
that  the  chief  cause  of  the  bulk  of  all  the  troubles  ex- 
perienced hitherto  is  to  be  traced  to  the  fact  that  the 
infant  institution  thus  far  had  been  destitute  of  an 
administrative  head.  The  enterprise  was  indeed  new, 
the  region  was  advanced  but  a  decade  or  two  be- 
yond wilderness  conditions,  while  all  to  whom  the 
general  management  of  affairs  was  committed  were 
entirely  without  experience  in  the  performance  of 
the  onerous  duties  laid  upon  their  shoulders.  But 


THE  SEVENTIES,  i  153 

even  worse  than  all  these  serious  drawbacks  com- 
bined, no  leader  had  been  provided,  one  selected 
especially  with  reference  to  the  possession  of  gifts 
for  administration.  Some  single  brain  was  sorely 
needed  to  plan,  and  some  single  will  to  execute.  The 
board  was  willing  and  active,  while  the  executive 
committee  stood  ready  to  attend  to  various  minor 
matters,  and  until  laid  aside  by  ill  health,  Mr.  Good- 
sell  was  lavish  in  the  expenditure  of  business  sagac- 
ity and  energy.  Instructors  also  were  on  hand  to 
look  after  classroom  work  and  discipline.  But  no 
chief  executive  was  yet  installed,  nor  was  even 
within  the  range  of  vision.  After  a  year  or  two,  to 
mend  the  situation  somewhat,  Mr.  Seccombe  was 
chosen  "Senior  Professor,"  or  temporary  head,  to 
make  himself  generally  useful  in  divers  directions 
both  at  home  and  abroad.  But  all  this  was  only  a 
poor  makeshift,  a  slight  stepping-stone  to  something 
vastly  better.  As  early  as  the  summer  of  1867 
a  committee  was  appointed,  with  Messrs.  Hall  and 
Strong  among  the  members,  commissioned  to  in- 
stitute a  search  for  a  president,  with  longing  eyes 
turned  in  all  directions  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the 
indispensable  "  coming  man."  Was  he  to  be  found 
in  the  East  or  the  West  ?  A  possible  incumbent  for 
the  vacant  place  (aching  void)  was  heard  of,  a  resi- 
dent of  Grinnell,  Iowa ;  and  one  of  the  trustees  was 
dispatched  thither  to  interview  him,  and  "  if  it  seems 
best,  to  offer  "  what  was  deemed  a  fair  salary.  Fail- 
ure attended  this  attempt,  and  the  election  of  Mr. 


154          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

Seccombe  as  senior  professor  appears  to  have  fol- 
lowed as  a  result.  Then,  apparently,  the  weighty 
matter  was  suffered  to  rest  for  some  two  years,  and 
until  the  situation  had  become  well  nigh  desperate. 
It  was  at  the  same  meeting  at  which  Mr.  Seccombe 
was  informed  that  his  services  were  no  longer  re- 
quired, that  another  committee  of  three  was  chosen 
"  to  confer  with  "  a  certain  well-known  clergyman 
"  of  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  tendering  him  "  a  certain 
salary  "  this  year" ;  on  his  refusal  "  to  make  in- 
quiries in  this  state,  and  agreeing  upon  any  one,  to 
call  a  special  meeting  of  the  board,"  in  the  latter 
case  with  two  additional  members  provided.  It 
must  have  been  about  this  time  that  Ohio  was  re- 
sorted to  with  the  same  purpose  in  mind.  Rev. 
E.  M.  Williams  said  at  the  quarter-centennial  anni- 
versary :  "  I  can  easily  go  back  to  the  time  when 
we  were  wrestling  with  the  problem  of  a  president 
for  Carleton.  Well  do  I  recall  an  errand  to  Oberlin 
in  search  of  one  to  fill  that  office,  but  Oberlin  had 
no  relief  for  us."  The  Illinois  candidate  promptly 
refused  to  consider  the  subject,  and  at  once  gave  a 
negative  reply;  and  so,  losing  all  hope  of  securing 
a  Moses  anywhere  from  among  outsiders  and 
strangers,  as  a  last  resort,  Minnesota  was  scanned 
through  and  through,  from  center  to  circumference, 
in  quest  of  a  gifted  man,  of  heroic  mold,  possessed 
of  courage  and  consecration  sufficient  to  undertake 
to  avert  the  seemingly  inevitable,  and  to  achieve 
that  which  to  many  was  the  impossible.  And  what 


THE  SEVENTIES,  i  155 

was  there  to  attract  anybody  fit  for  the  herculean 
task  of  rescuing  the  moribund  institution  from  the 
jaws  of  impending  destruction? 

No  doubt  the  nadir  of  Carleton's  career  was 
reached  in  the  summer  of  1870.  But  nevertheless, 
as  the  event  proved,  this,  the  darkest  hour,  was  just 
before  the  dawn.  Who  would  not  have  scouted  and 
scoffed  at  the  prediction,  had  it  been  made,  that 
within  a  few  weeks  the  friends  of  the  college,  both 
in  Northfield  and  throughout  the  state,  would  be 
found  even  fuller  of  enthusiasm  and  expectation 
than  they  were  four  years  before  when  the  location 
was  fixed ;  and  that  their  giving  would  be  even  more 
hilarious  and  lavish?  If  this  Christian  school  was 
born  at  Rochester  when  the  conference  resolved  that 
at  the  soonest  a  beginning  should  be  made,  or  two 
years  afterward,  when  Northfield  was  selected  as 
the,  seat,  a  second  birth  was  now  verily  nigh  at 
hand,  a  birth  into  a  new  and  larger  life. 

Rev.  E.  M.  Williams,  in  the  address  referred  to 
above,  supplies  in  addition  this  interesting  bit  of 
information  relating  to  the  work  of  the  committee 
just  named :  "  After  long  consultations,  some  one, 
President  Fuller  of  Aintab,  Turkey,  I  think  (at  that 
date  Rev.  Americus  Fuller,  pastor  of  the  Rochester 
Congregational  church),  suggested  that  we  should 
elect  one  of  our  own  board,  Rev.  James  W.  Strong, 
and  place  him  at  the  head  of  this  enterprise."  A 
word  to  the  wise  was  sufficient.  Messrs.  Hall  and 
Williams  had  broached  the  idea  to  Mr.  Strong,  the 


156          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

latter  repeatedly,  with  the  urgent  request  that  due 
consideration  be  given  the  subject,  and  with  the 
promise  to  "  stand  by  him  " ;  but  Mr.  Strong  would 
then  make  no  other  response  than  that  he  had  no 
desire  to  undertake  such  a  task,  that  his  heart  was 
in  the  pastorate  and  that  he  must  remain  in  it  until 
convinced  that  Providence  had  some  other  plan 
for  him.  After  some  three  months'  investigation, 
unable  to  discover  any  other  man  so  suitable,  the 
committee  called  a  special  meeting  of  the  trustees 
for  September  18  to  report  their  conclusion  in  the 
shape  of  a  nomination.  At  a  certain  stage  of  the 
proceedings  the  Faribault  pastor  was  requested  to 
leave  the  room  for  a  season  (the  meeting  was  held 
in  a  small  music-room  in  the  old  "  Ladies'  Hall  "), 
and  his  name  was  presented.  An  hour  or  two  fol- 
lowed of  pondering  and  discussion,  with  a  unani- 
mous election  as  the  momentous  conclusion.  The 
president-elect  was  then  called  in  and  informed  of 
the  action  which  had  just  been  taken.  When  asked 
for  a  response,  his  reply  was  that  if  a  decision  were 
required  at  once  it  must  be  in  the  negative;  but,  if 
given  time,  he  would  consider  the  question  most 
carefully,  and  give  a  definite  answer  at  the  annual 
meeting  of  the  state  conference  which  would  con- 
vene a  month  later  at  Northfield. 

In  this  most  critical  hour  for  the  college  a  re- 
markable coincidence  occurred  (and  did  it  only 
happen?  was  it  not  rather  a  true  providence?).  Not 
many  days  before  a  strange  preparation  for  an  af- 


THE  SEVENTIES,  i  157 

firmative  reply  had  been  received.  For  three  years, 
on  account  of  seriously  impaired  vision,  an  afflic- 
tion inherited  from  college  days,  his  eyes  often 
bandaged  to  exclude  the  light,  Mrs.  Strong  had  done 
all  his  reading  and  writing,  and  until  her  health  was 
at  the  point  of  collapse,  from  excessive  application, 
after  caring  most  faithfully  besides  for  small  chil- 
dren and  the  home.  Therefore  he  had  felt  con- 
strained to  declare  that  she  should  do  his  work  no 
longer;  that  he  would  do  it  himself,  or  else  would 
exchange  the  pastorate  for  some  other  calling.  But 
after  making  most  strenuous  endeavor  for  six 
weeks,  it  became  evident  that  if  this  were  continued 
total  blindness  would  ensue.  Hence,  in  accordance 
with  His  resolution,  he  announced  to  his  wife  his 
purpose  to  resign,  and  to  present  his  resignation 
from  the  pupit  the  Sunday  following.  This  de- 
cision was  reached  near  the  beginning  of  the  week 
in  which  the  presidency  was  tendered  him,  and  be- 
fore any  intimation  of  such  intention  on  the  part  of 
the  trustees  had  come  to  his  knowledge.  Nor,  on  the 
other  hand,  were  the  trustees  in  the  least  aware  of 
his  determination  to  retire  from  the  pulpit.  Dur- 
ing the  thirty  days  ensuing,  counsel  was  taken  with 
divers  friends  at  home  and  abroad,  a  number  of 
them  possessed  of  experience  in  connection  with 
the  headship  of  impecunious  and  struggling  colleges 
in  the  West;  some  advising  acceptance,  and  some 
declination.  In  Faribault  in  particular  there  were 
those  who  deemecl  the  position  one  altogether  too 


158          HISTORY  OP  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

puny  and  insignificant,  and  they  urged  him  not  to 
"  throw  himself  away "  on  any  such  enterprise. 
Little  by  little,  however,  the  individual  chiefly  con- 
cerned reached  the  conclusion  that  for  him,  all 
things  considered,  the  path  of  duty  lay  in  the  direc- 
tion of  an  affirmative  reply;  provided  the  trustees 
were  found  in  substantial  agreement  with  him  with 
reference  to  certain  weighty  matters  of  general 
policy.  As  to  the  patent  difficulties  and  discourage- 
ments in  store,  his  conviction,  was  clear  and  con- 
clusive that  "  a  Christian  man  had  no  right  to  de- 
cline work  for  the  Kingdom  merely  because  it  was 
hard  and  disagreeable." 

Inauguration  Day. — When  the  adjourned  meet- 
ing of  the  board  was  held,  October  13,  1870,  with 
the  sessions  of  the  state  conference  to  commence 
that  evening  in  the  "  Old  Brown  Church  "  near  by, 
such  questions  as  these  were  put  by  the  president- 
to-be,  with  answers  sought  from  the  legal  represent- 
atives of  the  college:  "  i.  Are  denominational 
schools  a  necessity?  2.  Is  Northfield  College  a 
necessity,  or  might  it  be  made  simply  tributary  to 
the  State  University?  [We  recall  that  the  year  be- 
fore President  Folwell  was  put  in  charge  and  for 
the  first  time  it  began  to  look  as  though  that  institu- 
tion might  live  and  thrive.]  3.  Can  the  University 
do  the  needed  work,  or  be  so  molded  as  to  be  re- 
ligious without  being  sectarian?  Is  there  danger 
that  it  will  be  controlled  by  politicians?  4.  Can 
Northfield  College  be  made  a  success  under  the 


THE  SEVENTIES,  i  159 

shadow  of  a  university  so  munificently  endowed,  and 
whose  privileges  are  free?  5.  Ought  we  to  seek 
a  union  with  the  Presbyterians  in  a  college  enter- 
prise? Has  experience  shown  such  union  to  be  de- 
sirable? Would  it  be  practicable  here?  6.  Is  a 
change  of  location  possible  now,  or  expedient? 

7.  How  is  it  desirable  that  a  canvass  be  made  for 
funds  ?  Shall  we  go  through  the  state  again  ?  Shall 
we  go  East?    Is  there  reasonable  hope  of  success? 

8.  What  is  to  be  the  authority  of  the  president  as 
to  the  nomination  of  co-laborers?    What  shall  de- 
termine his  tenure  of  office?    9.    Under  what  cir- 
cumstances may  a  change  of  name  be  made?  " 

During  quite  a  protracted  discussion  and  inter- 
change of  opinions  upon  these  fundamental  themes, 
by  special  invitation,  these  distinguished  visitors 
from  the  East  being  in  attendance  upon  the  confer- 
ence, were  present  and  imparted  freely  of  their 
wisdom :  Rev.  Drs.  Ray  Palmer,  William  Barrows 
and  Alexander  H.  Clapp.  At  the  close  it  came  out 
that  the  candidate  and  the  trustees  were  in  all  es- 
sential particulars  surprisingly  at  one;  so  that  all 
cogent  reasons  against  accepting  the  position  offered 
were  removed,  and  only  an  affirmative  reply  could 
with  reason  be  given,  which  also  was  soon  forth- 
coming, when,  at  this  point,  Rev.  A.  K.  Packard, 
the  presiding  officer,  had  ventured  the  highly  ap- 
propriate interrogatory  remark,  "  We  would  like  to 
know  if  Northfield  College  now  has  a  president  ?" 

Arrangements   were   accordingly   made  to  hold 


160          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

inauguration  services  the  next  day  in  connection 
with  the  session  of  the  state  conference,  with  many 
a  heavy  heart  made  light,  and  many  a  face  beaming 
with  joy,  when  it  was  noised  abroad  that  at  length 
a  fit  man  had  actually  been  found,  ready  to  commit 
himself  to  the  tremendous  undertaking.  Of  course, 
as  much  as  possible  must  be  made  of  the  occasion, 
the  providential  opportunity  to  restore  lost  con- 
fidence, to  arouse  courage  and  enthusiasm  anew,  as 
well  as  to  bring  the  utmost  of  relief  to  the  more 
than  straitened  finances.  Characteristically,  combin- 
ing promptness  with  energy  and  enterprise,  before 
giving  sleep  to  his  eyes,  President  Strong,  who 
passed  the  night  with  Rev.  E.  M.  Williams,  began 
his  long  and  most  fruitful  campaign  for  funds,  by 
ascertaining  that  this  brother  minister  was  ready  to 
pledge  $6,000  towards  an  endowment;  and  before 
noon  of  the  day  following,  that  the  Goodsell  family 
could  be  counted  on  to  add  $4,000  to  that  goodly 
sum.  At  the  afternoon  session  of  the  conference 
Carleton's  first  chief  executive  was  presented  to  the 
assembly  by  the  president  of  the  board,  and  re- 
sponded with  a  half-hour's  extempore  inaugural  ad- 
dress. Next  the  two  munificent  pledges  were  an- 
nounced, followed  by  an  appeal  for  further  subscrip- 
tions. As  to  what  followed,  let  Dr.  Barrows,  both 
an  interested  spectator  and  active  participant,  in- 
form us.  This  is  his  thrilling  account  in  part: 
"  Clever  was  a  college  president  more  cordially  or 
devoutly  inducted  into  office  than  he  on  that  mem- 


THE  SEVENTIES,  i  161 

orable  day.  It  was  a  wonderful  meeting.  As  soon 
as  the  decision  of  the  trustees  was  announced  in 
conference,  the  Holy  Spirit  seemed  to  take  posses- 
sion of  the  assembly.  Men  prayed  that  that  border 
land,  not  far  as  yet  from  the  wigwams,  might  be  ded- 
icated to  Christian  learning ;  and  that  the  farms,  and 
ballots,  and  juries,  might  come  up  under  the  sun- 
light of  the  decalogue.  Then  remarks  grew  out  of 
the  prayers,  that  they  must  raise  up  on  the  ground 
the  ministry,  the  intelligent  merchants,  farmers  and 
mechanics  that  the  new  country  needed.  Some  one 
mentioned  the  little  beginnings,  right  among  the 
Indians,  of  old  Harvard  and  Dartmouth,  and  it 
gave  such  courage  that  poor  men  became  rich  in 
faith,  and  women  broke  forth  in  singing.  Between 
the  songs  and  the  prayers,  short  speeches  were  fil- 
tered in,  closing  with  subscriptions — the  very 
figures  of  speech  for  such  an  occasion.  Men  of 
Amherst,  Yale,  Dartmouth,  and  Williams,  said  they 
must  plant  as  good  a  college  there ;  and  planted  their 
subscriptions.  *  *  *  Thirty-seven  donations 
were  made,  and  their  hearty  consecration  to  learning 
made  each  a  little  fortune.  The  miscellany  of  donors 
was  typical  of  a  wide  interest.  Four  of  them  were 
women,  two  were  families,  seventeen  were  ministers, 
and  mostly  missionaries,  and  about  as  rich  as  Peter 
and  John  when  they  went  to  a  prayer  meeting  once 
and  met  a  lame  man.  How  we  all  wept  when  one 
man,  with  a  choked  utterance,  pledged  $20  for  his 
boy  in  heaven  who  died  in  the  army.  One  stalwart 


162          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

missionary  (Rev.  Edward  Brown),  who  told  me 
his  family  burials  had  kept  pace  with  his  field  all 
the  way  from  Ohio  to  Minnesota,  said  he  had  no 
money,  never  expected  to  have,  and  the  brethren 
knew  it;  but  he  could  not  lose  his  chance  in  so 
splendid  a  work.  He  offered  a  fine  colt  that  was  en- 
tered at  forty  dollars — more  than  the  sheep  given  to 
Cambridge  College  its  second  year.  The  new  presi- 
dent quickly  remarked  that  no  boys  would  be  al- 
lowed to  ride  a  '  pony  '  on  college  grounds. 

"Another  brother  (Rev.  Lucian  Farnham  of  Illi- 
nois) offered  $20  in  three  annual  payments.  He 
knew  of  the  logs  and  spades  around  Illinois  Col- 
lege. One  church  was  pledged  for  $106,  while  a 
modest  lady  through  her  husband  put  down  $500. 
A  young  missionary  (Rev.  W.  S.  Hampton)  offered 
twenty-five  dollars  out  of  the  closing  quarter  of  his 
scanty  salary.  Just  over  the  river  from  his  hired 
log  parsonage  was  the  Indian.  He  said  the  logs, 
shy  of  each  other,  left  the  cabin  well  ventilated,  and 
the  puncheon  floor  yawned  with  cracks,  but  neither 
he  nor  his  young  wife  had  any  jewelry  to  lose 
through ;  and  his  four  chairs  were  stout  and  good  if 
they  were  borrowed;  and  as  he  would  never  have 
another  cfiance  so  favorable  to  found  a  college,  he 
must  take  part.  So  we  went  through  the  meeting 
and  took  the  thirty-seven  subscriptions,  and  when 
the  close  came  the  people  were  too  happy  to  take  the 
benediction  and  separate.  Probably  there  have 
been  few  meetings  beyond  the  Alleghanies  more 


THE  SEVENTIES,  i  163 

joyful  or  devout,  or  more  fruitful  for  Christ's  king- 
dom. When  the  meeting  opened,  the  total  property 
of  the  institution  was  estimated  at  $15,000,  and 
the  subscriptions  of  that  afternoon  were  $16,446. 
I  doubt  whether  any  other  $16,000  donated  to 
learning  east  of  the  Alleghanies,  since  1870,  can 
show  one-fifth  of  the  fruit.  We  of  the  East,  who 
travel  more  among  the  old  cities  of  Europe  than 
the  new  and  growing  ones  of  the  United  States,  are 
not  aware  where  educational  investments  are  yield- 
ing the  greatest  harvests.  We,  under  the  welcome 
shade  of  old  and  classic  trees,  where  every  branch 
bends  with  the  fruits  of  memory,  are  slow  to  con- 
sider that  an  hour's  budding  in  a  nursery  will  af- 
fect the  fruit  market  for  the  next  forty  years  more 
than  a  week's  grafting  in  an  old  orchard." 

A  few  more  cases  in  illustration  of  the  spirit  of 
that  hour  may  well  be  put  on  record.  A  foreign 
missionary,  Rev.  Dr.  Joseph  K.  Greene,  seeking 
health  in  the  home-land,  made  a  gift  of  $25,  a  re- 
ceipt for  which  bore  the  first  official  signature  of  the 
new  president.  Thus  early  in  the  new  enterprise 
were  interwoven  the  interests  of  foreign  missions 
and  home  missions.  One  who  signed  himself  "  a  late 
student  of  the  college,"  pledged  $100,  payable  in 
two  years.  Still  another  offered  160  acres  of  land 
in  Pope  county  valued  at  $200.  Upon  one  card 
handed  in  was  written :  "  There  is  standing  on  the 
books  at  the  store,  to  the  credit  of  Charles  A.  Lee, 
the  last  money  he  earned.  This  is  donated  to  the  col- 


164          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

lege  as  coming  from  one  of  the  first  students,  now  in 
heaven."  Signed,  A.  Lee.  Dr.  Palmer  was  the 
giver  of  $100;  Rev.  H.  A.  Stimson  turned  over  a 
government  bond  for  $500,  but  then  worth  $575 ; 
and  Hiram  Scriver,  to  all  he  had  subscribed  before, 
added  $2,000,  including  a  lot  and  building  valued  at 
$500.  As  Dunning  puts  it  in  his  "  Congregational- 
ism in  America,"  "  Congregationalism  in  Minnesota 
has  been  a  growth  out  of  a  congenial  soil.  Carleton 
College,  like  all  the  other  colleges,  a  child  of  home 
missions,  looks  back  to  the  day  of  its  poverty  as  the 
day  of  its  glory,  when  calling  to  itself  a  president, 
the  giving  for  it  in  general  association  rolled  up  in 
one  day  over  $16,000,  until  every  home  missionary 
was  down  for  a  sum  that  went  beyond  the  point  of 
feeling  it.  Up  there  the  thrilling  scene  abides  in 
thought  as  a  sacred  memento.  That  first  strain 
probably  cost  more  of  sacrifice  than  the  later  raising 
of  $200,000." 

Thus  successfully  was  shunned  the  last  of  mortal 
perils  for  the  college,  and  from  henceforth  its  ex- 
istence was  assured.  It  might  have  in  store  days 
of  darkness  and  times  of  severe  trial,  but  no  crisis 
comparable  with  this  one  for  gravity.  This  mem- 
orable session  of  the  conference  was  brought  to  a 
close  by  the  prayer  of  inauguration  offered  by  Rev. 
Richard  Hall,  president  of  the  board  of  trustees. 
Before  final  adjournment  the  board  voted  its  readi- 
ness to  change  the  name  of  the  institution  in 
view  of  a  gift  as  large  as  $50,000;  and  that  any 


THE  SEVENTIES,  i  1G5 

giver  of  not  less  than  $15,000  might  name  a  pro- 
fessorship. It  was  voted  also  "  desirable  to  fill  a 
Scandinavian  professorship  at  the  earliest  practica- 
ble day " ;  and  donations  were  invited  for  such  a 
chair.  The  president  was  authorized  to  attend  the 
meeting  of  the  College  Aid  Society  to  be  held  at 
Bloomfield,  New  Jersey,  November  8.  A  poster  is 
still  in  existence,  about  12  by  18  inches,  with  the 
heading,  "  College  Rally,"  and  announcing  for  sub- 
stance :  "  President  Strong  will  address  the  citizens 
of  Northfield  and  vicinity  upon  the  college,  its  pros- 
pects and  future  policy,  next  Friday  evening,  Octo- 
ber 28,  at  7  o'clock,  at  Wheaton's  Hall.  Young 
and  old,  turn  out  and  encourage  the  president  of 
your  institution.  Let  him  feel  your  interest  in  its 
future  growth,  that  he  may  labor  with  a  courageous 
heart.  Ex.  Com." 

Speaking  of  the  general  impression  concerning 
the  future  of  the  institution,  President  Strong  says : 
"  At  that  time  faith  in  the  success  of  '  Northfield 
College '  was  not  discoverable.  Pledges  that  had 
been  secured  by  Mr.  Seccombe  were  being  repudi- 
ated on  the  ground  that  it  was  useless  to  sink  any 
more  money  in  a  fruitless  undertaking.  There  was 
a  welcome  for  me  as  a  citizen,  but  with  it  came  the 
assurance  that  it  was  too  late  to  save  the  college. 
That  was  gone  hopelessly.  One  prominent  resident 
said,  '  We  are  glad  to  have  respectable  people  come 
here  to  live,  but  the  college  has  gone  into  the 
ground,  and  it  can  never  be  resurrected.' 


166          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

Carleton's  First  President. — It  is  necessary  here 
to  break  the  thread  of  the  narrative,  in  order  that 
the  reader  may  be  introduced  to  the  leader  and  guide 
just  inducted  into  his  high  office,  and  who,  far  more 
than  any  other  man  for  a  third  of  a  century,  was 
destined  to  shape  the  character  of  the  college,  by 
gathering  funds  for  buildings  and  endowment,  by 
selecting  a  faculty  of  scholarly  and  consecrated  in- 
structors, by  holding  teachers  and  students  to  high 
ideals,  and  thus  in  so  many  directions  achieving 
such  distinguished  success.  No  attempt  will  be 
made  to  present  a  complete  biographical  sketch,  that 
task  belonging  more  properly  to  the  future  his- 
torian, but  only  such  incidents  will  be  recorded  as 
will  serve  to  illustrate  and  emphasize  the  facts  re- 
maining to  be  set  forth  in  the  chapters  to  follow. 

James  Woodward  Strong*  was  born  in  Brown- 
ington,  Orleans  county,  Vermont,  September  29, 
1833.  His  father  was  a  merchant,  of  large  experi- 
ence as  a  surveyor,  for  twelve  years  sheriff,  and 
later  keeper  of  a  temperance  hotel  in  Montpelier. 
Like  the  multitude  of  New  England  families  at  the 
time,  this  one  lived  in  circumstances  not  only  mod- 
erate, but  approaching  the  straitened.  As  a  child 
James  was  so  puny  and  frail  as  to  be  a  source  of 


*The  emphatic  statement  made  in  the  Introduction  must 
be  recalled  here  and  all  along  hereafter  as  later  pages  are 
read,  that  President  Strong  protested  with  all  his  might 
against  the  giving  of  such  prominence  to  himself  and  to  the 
incidents  of  his  life;  but  all  in  vain,  since  the  author  insisted 
even  more  strenuously  that  this  was  a  matter  in  which  his 
judgment  must  be  permitted  to  decide. 


JAMES    W.    STRONG. 


THE  SEVENTIES,  i  167 

continual  solicitude  to  his  mother,  lest  he  should  not 
survive  to  adult  years.  Before  the  age  of  fourteen 
he  is  found  in  a  printing  office,  with  work  often 
imposed  which  was  much  beyond  his  strength;  and 
for  "  wages  "  receiving  his  board,  and  an  overcoat 
which  cost  seven  dollars,  at  the  end  of  his  year's 
service.  A  large  wholesale  and  retail  bookstore  in 
Burlington  supplied  the  next  place  of  toil,  where  he 
remained  two  years,  with  the  return  of  board  and 
$50  the  first  twelvemonth,  and  favored  the  second 
one  with  an  increase  to  $75.  This  business  was  so 
thoroughly  mastered  that  on  occasion  his  employer 
felt  at  liberty  to  absent  himself  for  days  together, 
leaving  this  youthful  clerk  in  entire  charge.  It  was 
now  that  the  study  of  Latin  was  taken  up  and 
pushed  in  the  store,  whenever  a  few  leisure  minutes 
could  be  found,  and  entirely  by  himself.  A  little 
later  he  enjoyed  the  instruction  and  friendship  of 
a  most  noble  personality,  whose  influence  was  abid- 
ing, Nathaniel  G.  Clark,  then  principal  of  an  acad- 
emy, but  afterward  widely  known  and  honored  as 
secretary  of  the  American  Board.  Such  a  reputa- 
tion for  integrity,  industry  and  business  had  by  this 
time  been  established,  that  James  was  wanted  for 
service  as  teller  in  a  bank,  but  his  employer  pro- 
tested that  he  could  not  be  spared,  and  he  did  not 
learn  of  the  possibility  until  after  the  position  had 
been  filled. 

Next,  as  an  episode,  when  he  was  only  seventeen 
years  of  age,  teaching  followed  in  a  school  in  a 


168          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

mountainous  district,  peculiarly  difficult  because  of 
the  custom, — the  unwritten  law, — enacted  by  the 
larger  boys  that  at  least  two  school-masters  should 
be  carried  out  bodily,  or  in  some  other  way  deposed 
each  winter.  Our  slender  youth  was  the  second 
employed  that  year  and  in  due  time  the  inevitable 
contest  came,  but  so  master  of  the  situation  did  the 
teacher  prove  himself  that  his  engagement  was 
lengthened  by  an  additional  month,  with  an  increase 
of  wages  dating  from  the  beginning  of  his  service. 
Character  had  triumphed  over  muscle. 

In  the  spring  of  1851  the  family  removed  to 
Wisconsin,  settling  at  Beloit  where  only  four  years 
before  a  college  had  been  planted  (with  Mr.  Goodsell 
among  the  founders),  from  which  the  first  class 
was  soon  to  graduate.  For  two  or  three  years 
studies  were  taken  in  the  preparatory  department, 
that  is,  when  health  at  all  permitted,  at  intervals 
with  long  gaps  between,  with  teaching  and  other 
occupations  resorted  to  in  order  not  to  rust  in  utter 
idleness.  In  January  of  1852  he  took  charge  of 
the  Beloit  public  school  and  held  the  position  until 
Ihe  close  of  the  school  year,  when  he  resumed  study 
at  the  college.  Soon  an  episode  occurred  of  which 
a  fellow-student,  now  Rev.  Dr.  A.  W.  Curtis  of 
Raleigh,  N.  C,  gives  an  interesting  account.  With 
two  or  three  others  Mr.  Strong  went  to  bathe  just 
below  the  dam  in  Rock  river,  where  there  was  a 
dangerous  eddy,  which  he  meant  to  avoid,  but  going 
a  little  too  near  was  drawn  in,  and  soon  found  it 


THE  SEVENTIES,  i  169 

impossible  to  escape  alone.  Natural  independence 
prevented  any  call  for  help  until  almost  too  late. 
Mr.  Curtis,  who  was  some  distance  below,  recog- 
nized the  voice,  and  as  soon  as  possible,  with  the 
aid  of  another,  drew  him  out  by  his  hair,  too  weak 
to  stand.  It  was  some  time  before  he  fully  recov- 
ered from  this,  but,  determined  not  to  give  up  to 
anything,  and  not  to  slight  any  duty,  the  very  next 
morning  found  him  at  chapel  prayers,  which,  in  ad- 
dition to  one  recitation,  were  held  in  that  benighted 
age  before  the  breakfast  hour.  During  the  spring 
of  the  next  year  he  was  sick  for  several  weeks,  and 
during  the  summer  following,  for  health's  sake,  a 
trip  was  taken  by  wagon  to  Galena,  and  thence  up 
the  river  to  St.  Paul  and  beyond,  obtaining  his 
first  view  of  a  region  to  become  subsequently  very 
familiar.  Returning,  hard  study  not  yet  being  pos- 
sible, nearly  a  year  of  teaching  ensued,  followed  by 
the  acquisition  of  the  art  of  telegraphy,  which  gave 
him  abundant  occupation.  However,  in  spite  of  all 
these  interruptions,  this  strenuous  youth  was  able 
to  enter  the  freshman  class  in  the  fall  of  1854, 
boarding  at  home  and  doing  chores,  also  adding  to 
his  income  by  taking  charge  of  the  Beloit  telegraph 
office,  his  duties  including  the  delivery  as  well  as 
the  receiving  of  messages,  and  the  repairing  of  lines 
whenever  broken.  During  the  sophomore  year  so 
much  of  absence  was  necessitated  by  sickness  and  the 
performance  of  numerous  outside  duties,  that  only 
about  one-third  of  the  time  could  be  devoted  to 


170          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

study,  but  nevertheless  all  the  examinations  were 
successfully  passed.  While  in  the  junior  year,  not 
only  was  he  laid  aside  for  weeks  by  fever,  but  his 
eyes  gave  out,  with  such  radical  weakness  setting 
in  that  ever  since,  defective  vision  has  been  an  un- 
ceasing trial  not  only,  but  also  a  source  of  most 
serious  limitation.  During  his  college  days  these 
several  lines  of  activity  were  pursued :  chore  boy  at 
home,  student,  teacher  in  the  preparatory  depart- 
ment, college  monitor,  telegraph  operator,  town- 
clerk  (and  as  such  taking  the  census  in  1855,  both 
of  town  and  city),  church  chorister,  member  of  two 
quartets,  secretary  of  a  choral  union,  secretary  of 
a  library  association,  secretary  of  the  state  teachers' 
association,  and  city  superintendent  of  schools !  Not 
strange  to  say,  rest  and  recuperation  were  found 
necessary  at  the  end  of  the  junior  year,  and  a  part 
of  that  summer  was  spent  in  Minnesota.  In  Sep- 
tember his  eyes  were  in  such  a  condition  that  sitting 
with  back  to  the  light  was  compelled,  and  often 
with  bandages  altogether  shutting  out  the  light.  Of 
course  reading  and  writing  were  impossible,  and 
all  he  learned  came  through  the  lips  of  a  devoted 
classmate  and  roommate,  now  the  Rev.  Dr.  John  H. 
Edwards  of  Brooklyn,  New  York.  In  spite  of  all, 
graduation  found  Strong  among  the  foremost,  and 
to  him  the  valedictory  oration  was  awarded. 

Next,  soon  after  commencement  we  find  him  a 
telegraph  operator  in  Madison,  reporting  also  for 
the  Milwaukee  papers  the  doings  of  the  legislature. 


SUSAN    WILLIS. 


THE  SEVENTIES,  i  171 

Later  in  the  season  a  second  visit  was  made  to  the 
Northwest,  this  time  with  a  party  of  college  friends, 
going  by  sailboat  or  steamboat  through  Lake  Su- 
perior from  Sault  Ste.  Marie  to  Bayfield  and  thence 
on  foot  to  the  Namekagon  river.  It  was  a  brown- 
faced  company  of  young  men,  in  garments  much 
the  worse  for  wear,  that  tramped  into  St.  Paul 
that  August  morning,  bearing  their  cooking  uten- 
sils and  revealing  to  the  curious  passers-by  but 
little  of  their  real  college  culture.  One  of  these 
was  Mr.  Edwards,  named  on  a  preceding  page ;  an- 
other was  Henry  S.  DeForest,  a  tutor  both  at  Yale 
and  at  Beloit,  and  hence  familiarly  called  "  The 
Tutor,"  who,  after  his  pastorates  in  Iowa,  devoted 
his  noble  manhood,  as  president  of  Talladega  Col- 
lege, to  educational  work  at  the  South,  until  his 
death  in  January,  1896. 

Consecrated  to  the  ministry  from  his  very  birth 
by  his  mother,  baptized  and  prayed  over  by  her 
foster-father,  Rev.  James  Woodward,  with  the  same 
end  in  view,  it  is  not  strange  that  Mr.  Strong  never 
had,  from  his  earliest  recollection,  any  other  pur- 
pose or  desire  than  to  become  a  pastor.  But  how, 
with  eyes  practically  worthless  for  study,  could  this 
plan  be  carried  out  ?  The  same  college  friends  with 
whom  he  had  so  long  been  intimate,  very  strongly 
urged  him  to  accompany  them  to  Union  Theological 
Seminary  in  New  York,  promising  to  aid  him  in 
every  way  possible.  He  could  not  refuse  and  so, 
borrowing  money  to  reach  the  city,  he  entered  with 


172          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

them  in  the  autumn  of  1859.  For  two  years  Eugene 
H.  Avery — now  Rev.  Dr.  Avery  of  Oakland,  Cal. — 
a  man  of  rare  scholarship  and  warm  heart,  who 
had  been  a  very  intimate  friend  throughout  the  col- 
lege course,  was  his  room-mate  and  reader,  always 
taking  the  notes  of  the  lectures,  which  they  then 
studied  together. 

The  duties  of  the  last  year,  however,  were  such 
as  to  require  absolutely  the  aid  of  one  who  could 
devote  to  them  freely  all  the  time  needed.  Miss 
Mary  Davenport,  for  several  years  a  teacher  in 
Beloit,  was  ready  to  undertake  this  labor ;  and  after 
their  marriage  in  September,  1861,  such  service 
became,  for  many  years,  a  prominent  part  of  her 
most  devoted  and  efficient  wifely  ministrations. 

In  addition  to  pursuing  the  theological  studies 
required,  the  cost  of  living  was  met  by  singing  in 
various  church  choirs,  for  which  a  superior  bass 
voice  made  him  acceptable,  and  also  by  teaching  in 
families  and  private  schools.  Graduating  in  1862, 
ordination  soon  followed  and  a  settlement  for  two 
years  in  Brodhead,  Wisconsin;  and  then  a  transfer 
to  Faribault,  Minnesota,  in  January  of  '65;  to  be-, 
come  acting  pastor  of  the  Congregational  church. 
As  if  to  meet  impending  "  fate,"  his  advent  into 
Minnesota  was  in  ample  season  to  be  in  attendance 
upon  the  conference  which  selected  Northfield  as 
the  seat  of  the  college,  and  also  to  be  chosen  a 
member  of  the  board  of  trustees,  among  the  first 
and  weightiest  of  whose  duties  was  the  launching 


THE  SEVENTIES,  I  173 

of  the  proposed  institution,  and  then  steering  its 
perilous  way  through  storms,  rocks  and  quicksands. 
As  a  matter  of  course  the  future  president  was  pos- 
sessed of  thorough  personal  knowledge  of  every 
step  taken  hitherto,  the  financial  canvass  of  the 
state  by  Mr.  Seccombe,  the  purchase  of  the  Ameri- 
can House,  the  engagement  of  Mr.  Goodhue,  the 
gradual  decline  of  enthusiasm  and  confidence,  and 
the  dire  extremities  into  which  the  enterprise  had 
now  fallen. 


174          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 


CHAPTER  V  I. 

THE  SEVENTIES.   2. 

The  Marvel  of  Carleton's  Enlargement. 

We  approach  now  the  narrative  of  the  sudden 
and  surprising  blossoming  out  of  the  college  into 
fame,  also  into  comparative  prosperity  and  strength ; 
moreover,  an  amazing  transformation  wrought  by  a 
providence  most  painful,  one  which  for  months  ap- 
peared as  good  as  certain  to  make  inevitable,  as 
well  as  greatly  to  hasten,  irretrievable  ruin.  It 
would  not  be  easy  to  recall  a  more  striking  example 
of  crushing  calamity  leading  straight  forward  to 
phenomenal  success,  that  is,  with  the  success  related 
to  the  calamity  as  effect  is  to  cause.  Recall  how  the 
chief  instrument  was  a  stranger  to  rugged  health  in 
childhood;  through  serious  bodily  infirmities  strug- 
gling to  an  education;  and,  impelled  by  the  same 
"  thorn  in  the  flesh,"  constrained  to  retire  from  the 
calling  to  which  his  life  had  been  consecrated.  And 
then,  almost  at  once  a  stroke  fell  which  brought  him 
near  to  the  gates  of  death,  and  left  him  for  life  to 
carry  evident  scars  and  endure  severe  and  annoy- 
ing bodily  ill. 

But  first  a  paragraph  not  doleful  in  the  least, 
but  entertaining  instead,  almost  to  the  amusing.  As 
we  saw,  during  the  month  intervening  between  his 


THE  SEVENTIES,  2  175 

election  to  the  presidency  and  his  acceptance  thereof 
Mr.  Strong  had  resorted  to  his  friends  for  counsel. 
And  among  others,  communication  was  had  with 
President  Merriman  of  Ripon  College,  an  able  exec- 
utive, and  experienced  in  efforts  to  open  the  purses 
of  the  wealthy,  and  whose  letter  in  response  to  cer- 
tain queries  is  still  extant.  In  it  he  says :  "  You 
ask  if,  in  view  of  my  experience,  I  would  encourage 
any  man  to  go  East  to  beg  endowment.  No,  no! 
Every  bone,  and  muscle,  and  nerve,  replies,  no,  no ! 
It  may  be  a  necessity  in  some  cases,  but  there  is 
everything  to  discourage  it,  and  good  policy  should 
avoid  it.  Unless  your  case  is  very  strong,  or  you 
can  use  strong  personal  influence,  or  have  some 
strong  hold  on  some  very  wealthy  man,  you  will 
long  toil  in  vain.  I  do  not  think  the  College  Society 
would  endorse  an  application  from  Northfield  at 
present.  That  institution  has  hardly  come  to  the 
stage  which  their  rules  require.  Several  institutions 
already  endorsed  are  in  urgent  need  of  the  quotas 
which  they  have  been  warranted  to  expect,  and 
the  officers  of  the  society  are  desirous  of  completing 
their  quotas.  It  is  harder  to  awaken  an  interest  in 
this  than  in  almost  any  other  benevolent  cause. 
There  is  a  very  general  feeling  at  the  East  that 
western  colleges  ought  not  to  be  so  dependent  as 
they  are  on  eastern  benevolence.  In  view  of  the 
situation  in  Minnesota  I  suggest :  Have  an  academy 
for  both  sexes,  high-toned  in  religon,  morals  and 
scholarship — economical  and  vigorous.  Enlist  the 


176          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

churches  in  it;  get  all  the  money  for  it  that  you 
can  without  begging  for  it  as  a  pauper.  Aim  this 
academy  towards  the  college  of  the  future,  and 
grow  it  up  into  the  college  of  the  future.  Don't 
attempt  to  develop  the  plan  faster  than  your  con- 
stituency, your  resources,  your  students  and  your 
own  educational  work.  Let  what  you  have  in  your 
state  grow  thriftily  and  naturally  and  substantially 
into  what  you  are  to  have.  Don't  scheme,  don't 
beg,  but  simply  make  your  work  grow."  All  this 
is  good,  sensible  advice,  on  general  principles.  But 
scarcely  so  the  further  suggestions  like  these :  "  Lay 
the  pecuniary  foundations  now  in  the  natural  re- 
sources of  the  state.  Secure  land,  as  much  as  you 
can  by  gift  and  some,  if  necessary,  by  purchase. 
A  few  thousand  dollars  wisely  laid  out  now  will 
lay  the  foundation  for  a  great  fund  in  twenty 
years.  The  best  way  is  to  make  a  town  for  the 
college.  Let  a  few  enterprising  Christian  families 
associate  for  the  purpose.  Let  them  secure  land 
enough  and  set  apart  sufficient  to  found  a  college, 
and  keep  it  inviolably  for  that  purpose.  Make  a 
Christian  place  for  the  college,  begin  a  school  and 
develop  its  property  as  you  develop  the  school.  If 
your  academy  was  at  first  located  elsewhere,  move 
it  to  the  new  town  in  due  time,  if  thought  best. 
Northfield  may  be  the  best  place  for  your  college, 
but  it  seems  to  me  you  have  not  preempted  suffi- 
cient foundations  there  and  cannot  now.  If  I 
wanted  to  make  a  college  in  Minnesota,  I  think  I 


THE  SEVENTIES,  2  177 

should  get  twenty  good  families  and  start  for  woods 
or  prairie,  even  though  you  would  give  me  North- 
field  to  begin  with.  The  task  of  building  up  a 
college  on  so  small  an  original  foundation  as  you 
have,  and  so  depending  on  the  benevolence  of  your 
churches,  and  such  aid  as  when  you  have  grown 
to  it  you  may  beg  at  the  East,  is  immense,  and  the 
main  part  of  it  will  come  on  the  president.  He 
must  be  able  to  do  all  things,  and  do  without  all 
things,  if  he  has  to  beg  into  being  a  good  college." 
For  some  reason,  not  much  heed  appears  to  have 
been  given  to  this  advice,  and  very  soon  we  find  the 
newly  elected  president  resorting  to  "  begging," 
and  away  down  East  at  that;  with  an  outcome 
also  which  abundantly  justified  the  policy,  proving 
that  here  was  a  leader,  who  knew  no  such  word  as 
fail,  whose  business  it  was  not  to  follow  precedents, 
but  to  make  them;  and  illustrating  anew  the  fact 
that  the  chief  constituent  is  always  to  be  found  in 
"  the  man  behind  the  gun."  As  soon  as  possible 
after  the  inaugural  services  with  their  most  hearty 
and  effectual  endorsement  made  by  liberal  subscrip- 
tions; that  is,  as  soon  as  he  could  leave  his  pastor- 
ate, this  eager  seeker  for  friends  and  funds  (not 
knowing  in  the  least  what  experiences  awaited  him 
there),  was  ready  to  take  his  departure  for  New 
England;  though  primarily  to  secure  the  counte- 
nance of  the  College  Aid  Society,  whose  annual 
meeting  was  at  hand.  But,  through  the  recent  de- 
mise of  its  secretary,  nothing  came  of  this  attempt. 


178 

Fortified  with  but  a  single  letter  of  introduction, 
eastern  Massachusetts  was  soon  visited,  with  various 
calls  made  in  Boston  and  towns  surrounding. 
Somehow,  the  spring  before,  it  had  "  happened  " 
that  in  Mr.  Strong's  presence  mention  had  been 
made  of  a  Mr.  Carleton,  a  resident  of  Charlestown, 
as  one  both  possessed  of  ample  means  and  the  dis- 
position to  use  them  for  the  advancement  of  worthy 
objects.  It  also  "  happened  "  that  a  son-in-law  of 
this  same  individual,  Rev.  A.  K.  Packard,  was  pas- 
tor of  the  Anoka  Congregational  church  and  trustee 
of  Northfield  College.  What  then  more  natural 
than  that  at  the  time  of  the  inauguration,  Mr. 
Strong  should  put  the  question  to  Mr.  Packard 
(what  was  it  but  by  the  spirit  of  prophecy?)  : 
"  What  would  you  say  to  having  a  Carleton  Col- 
lege in  Minnesota?"  The  prompt  and  cheerful 
response  came :  "  I  don't  know  but  it  would  be 
a  good  thing."  By  request,  a  letter  of  introduc- 
tion to  this  father-in-law  was  given.  When  the 
fitting  time  arrived  a  call  was  made  at  the  office 
of  Mr.  Carleton.  The  establishment  was  a  large 
one,  the  growth  of  years  from  the  very  humblest 
beginnings,  employed  some  hundreds  of  hands,  and 
was  devoted  to  the  manufacture  of  lamps,  chande- 
liers, gas  fixtures,  and  brass  utensils  in  general. 
The  letter  was  presented  and  read,  evoking  the  re- 
mark, "  I  see  you  would  like  some  money."  The 
rejoinder  was  most  politic,  "  I  am  not  asking  for 
any  now,  but  I  have  hoped  you  would  become  inter- 


THE  SEVENTIES,  2  179 

ested  in  our  college,  upon  learning  more  about  it." 
After  a  few  minutes'  conversation  concerning  his 
daughter  and  grandchildren  in  Minnesota,  the  inter- 
view ended  with  no  plan  or  thought  of  when  or 
how,  if  ever,  a  second  meeting  would  occur. 

Later  in  the  week  inquiry  was  made  at  a  minis- 
terial agency  in  the  city  for  an  opportunity  to  preach 
the  next  Sunday,  with  an  assignment  made,  behold! 
to  Winthrop  church,  Charlestown;  and  who  should 
be  found  in  the  audience  and  a  member,  but  Mr. 
Carleton,  who  at  the  close  of  the  morning  service, 
greeted  the  preacher  cordially,  introduced  him  to 
a  Miss  Willis*,  and  they  invited  him  home  after 


*Mrs.  Sarah  E.  Northrop,  of  Oak  Park,  111.,  kindly  fur- 
nishes a  biographical  sketch  of  Miss  Willis,  her  cousin,  from 
which  this  note  is  prepared. 

"Susan  Willis  was  born  in  Shutesbury,  Mass.,  in  April, 
1818.  Her  father,  who  was  a  cousin  of  the  poet,  N.  P. 
Willis1,  died  of  yellow  fever,  while  on  a  business  trip  to  New 
Orleans.  Her  mother  was  a  practical,  sensible  Christian 
woman  of  the  veritable  New  England  type  of  character.  The 
younger  cousins  looked  to  Susan  as  their  ideal  and  pattern 
in  gentleness,  goodness  and  unselfish  devotion  to  others. 
We  all  loved  her  for  her  own  sake,  she  was  so  gentle,  so 
unobtrusive,  so  charitable,  so  Christ-like.  Once  in  going  from 
Boston  to  Springfield,  I  overheard  the  conversation  of  two 
gentleman  sitting  behind  me.  One  asked :  'Do  you  know 
Miss  Willis,  of  Boston,  who  does  so  much  good  with  her 
means,  in  such  quiet  ways ;  who  provides  libraries  for 
Sunday-schools,  and  does  so  much  for  destitute  churches?' 
Upon  the  Shutesbury  church  she  bestowed  some  six  thou- 
sand dollars.  Besides  the  ten  thousand  dollars  to  pay  the 
debt  on  'Willis  Hall,'  her  gifts  to  and  for  the  college  ag- 
gregated at  least  five  thousand  dollars.  The  first  of  her  an- 
cestors in  this  country,  John  Hunting,  came  to  Dedham, 
Mass.,  in  1638,  and  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  church 
there,  and  its  first  ruling  elder.  He  was  active  in  religious 
and  town  affairs  until  his  death,  at  the  age  of  92,  April  12, 
1689.  To  the  historian,  Dedham  is  a  place  of  much  more 


180  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

the  afternoon  service,  to  dine  with  them.  A  pleas- 
ant visit  followed,  with  many  questions  asked  and 
answered  concerning  the  West,  Minnesota  and  the 
new  college.  Mrs.  Carleton  was  an  invalid,  and  a 
quasi-pastoral  visit  was  had  with  her.  As  the 
guest  departed  he  was  invited  to  drop  in  at  the 
office  next  day.  Miss  Willis  was  then  found  pres- 
ent, who  proved  to  be  Mr.  Carleton's  long-tried, 
most  faithful  and  efficient  chief-assistant,  in  various 
ways  wielding  a  profound  influence  over  him,  and 
always  certain  to  give  stimulus  to  his  better  im- 
pulses. Before  the  call  closed  the  startling  interro- 
gation was  put,  "  What  would  you  do  with  a  little 
money,  if  it  should  be  given  to  you  now  ?  "  To 
which  quoth  the  president,  "  Money  is  most  needed 
now  for  current  expenses."  Whereupon  Mr.  Carle- 
ton  continued,  "  I  guess  I'll  have  to  tell  you  what 
she  says,"  glancing  towards  Miss  Willis ;  "  she 

than  ordinary  interest,  for  here  was  established,  by  vote 
of  a  town  meeting  held  January  I,  1642,  the  first  public 
school  in  America.  The  founders  fully  believed  'that  the 
good  education  of  children  is  of  singular  behoofe  and  bene- 
fit to  any  commonwealth.'  The  first  name  in  the  docu- 
ment is  that  of  John  Hunting.  Hon.  J.  W.  Dickinson,  for 
many  years  secretary  of  the  State  Board  of  Education,  said 
of  it :  ''As  this  was  the  first  law  of  the  kind  ever  passed 
by  any  community  of  persons,  or  by  any  state,  Massachu- 
setts may  claim  the  honor  of  having  originated  the  free  pub- 
lic school.'  It  is  certainly  interesting  to  learn  to  what 
noble  and  far-seeing  ancestors  Miss  Willis  could  trace  her 
lineage.  The  doctrine  that  moral  qualities  are  transmitted 
finds  here  pleasing  confirmation.  Miss  Willis  was  a  niece 
of  Mrs.  Carleton,  and  for  more  than  forty  years  in  the 
family ;  and  also  closely  associated  in  his  daily  business  with 
Mr.  Carleton,  to  whom  she  was  married,  March  li,  1875. 
She  died  of  consumption,  March  23,  1876." 


THE  SEVENTIES,  2  181 

says  that  if  I'll  give  you  $1,000,  she'll  give  you 
$500 ;  and  I  think  I'll  have  to  do  it."  A  check  was 
drawn  by  Miss  Willis  for  the  whole  amount  at 
once.  Nor  was  this  the  end,  for  Mr.  Carleton  made 
the  earnest  request  that  this  same  "  beggar  "  from 
the  West,  who  had  made  no  public  allusion  to  his 
college,  remain  and  preach  at  the  Charlestown 
church  the  next  Sunday  also.  Though  the  presi- 
dent's plan  had  been  to  take  sooner  his  departure 
from  the  city,  with  a  strong  suspicion  that  some- 
thing would  "  happen  "  if  he  remained,  he  concluded 
to  accept  the  invitation.  As  before,  dinner  and  an 
hour  or  two  of  friendly  intercourse  were  had  at 
the  Carleton  home.  Early  the  week  following,  a 
call  was  made  at  the  warerooms  of  the  Hallett  & 
Davis  Company,  where  an  offer  was  made  of  any 
piano  that  might  be  selected  for  the  college,  at  half- 
price;  which  piece  of  good  fortune  being  reported 
to  his  two  friends  at  the  office,  he  was  asked,  "  Has 
anybody  lifted  the  other  end  of  that  piano  ?  "  "  No, 
sir,  I  have  not  asked  any  one."  At  once  Miss 
Willis  said :  "  I  don't  think  he  better  go  home  with- 
out it,  do  you  ?  "  and  then  she  added :  "  If  you  will 
give  $100.00  I  will  give  $200.00."  A  smile  lit  up 
his  whole  face  as  Mr.  Carleton  quickly  responded, 
"  I  will  do  it."  Thus  was  secured,  without  cost  to 
the  institution,  the  first  piano  it  ever  owned.  So 
also  ended  the  first,  though  by  no  means  the  last 
transaction  with  these  noble  and  generous  co-part- 
ners in  good  works. 


182          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

Surely,  this  could  not  but  be  regarded  as  a  most 
auspicious  beginning  for  a  financial  campaign,  and 
who  could  help  concluding  that  providence  was  on 
the  side  of  this  latest  competitor  for  funds  so  sorely 
needed  for  the  intellectual  and  spiritual  betterment 
of  the  West?  But!  how  sudden  and  abrupt  was 
the  descent  from  these  few  cheering  hours  of  sun- 
light to  the  blackness  of  darkness.  Leaving  Boston 
on  Friday  of  that  week,  December  23,  so  near  the 
glad  Christmas  season,  the  president  stopped  at 
Hartford,  Conn.,  for  a  call  upon  friends.  After 
dining  with  his  seminary  classmate,  Rev.  Joseph 
H.  Twichell,  pastor  of  the  Asylum  Hill  church,  and 
calling  upon  Rev.  H.  Clay  Trumbull,  he  presented 
a  letter  of  introduction  to  Rev.  Collins  Stone,  su- 
perintendent of  the  American  Asylum  for  the  Deaf 
and  Dumb,  who  was  found  just  entering  his  car- 
riage for  a  drive.  It  appears  that  after  driving 
some  distance,  and  visiting  the  residence  of  Harriet 
Beecher  Stowe,  Mr.  Stone  turned  homeward,  ex- 
pecting to  cross  the  railway  track  at  Sigourney 
street.  He  came  to  the  track,  stopped,  looked  to- 
wards the  express  train  approaching  from  New 
Haven,  and  evidently  thought  he  had  time  to  cross. 
His  horse  had  been  taught,  whenever  about  to  start, 
to  prance  a  little  and  then  go.  The  consequence 
this  time  was  that  the  carriage  was  exactly  on  the 
track  when  it  was  swept  away  from  the  horse, 
thrown  upon  the  engine  with  its  contents,  and 
carried  more  than  seven  hundred  feet  before  the 


THE  SEVENTIES,  2  183 

train  could  be  stopped.  Mr.  Stone  was  found  life- 
less from  a  blow  upon  the  head,  while  his  com- 
panion was  unconscious  and  apparently  at  death's 
door,  having  received  several  cuts  upon  his  head 
and  face,  his  back  being  seriously  injured,  the  bones 
of  the  left  leg  and  ankle  badly  fractured,  three 
fingers  broken  and  the  flesh  of  the  hand  torn.  The 
victims  of  the  accident  were  carried  to  the  station  in 
the  baggage  car  and  from  thence,  Mr.  Stone  being 
recognized,  to  the  institution.  Four  surgeons  were 
in  attendance  during  the  night,  but,  while  the  facial 
wounds  were  cared  for,  until  the  next  day  nothing 
was  done  for  the  fractured  leg,  since  it  was  deemed 
^impossible  that  the  sufferer  could  survive  until 
morning.  The  Boston  morning  papers  reported  the 
accident,  and  the  evening  papers  announced  Mr. 
Strong's  death  as  having  occurred  at  half  past 
eight  Friday  night.  It  was  mentioned  in  the  pulpit 
of  Winthrop  church  where  he  had  preached  the 
two  preceding  Sabbaths,  and  fervent  prayer  was 
offered  for  "  the  widow  in  the  distant  West." 
When  Mr.  Twichell,  who  had  been  in  attendance 
much  of  Saturday,  called  on  Sabbath  morning,  his 
classmate  recognized  him  and  in  perplexity  inquired, 
"  Twichell,  where  am  I  ?  What  has  happened  ?" 
The  reply  was :  "  Well,  James,  there  has  been  a 
railroad  accident  and  you  are  hurt,  but  you  must 
now  keep  quiet,  and  not  ask  another  question.  We 
are  doing  what  we  can  for  you  and  you  shall  know 
all  about  it  by  and  by."  Several  days  passed  of 


184          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

intense  suffering  and  only  partial  consciousness. 
His  brother  Henry,  a  distinguished  army-surgeon, 
arrived  from  Wisconsin  on  Wednesday,  but  it  was 
not  until  Thursday  that  Mrs.  Strong  could  reach 
his  bedside  to  be  installed  as  nurse,  having  left  in 
Minnesota  a  babe  but  two  months  old. 

Mr.  Twichell  furnishes  these  interesting  rem- 
iniscences of  that  eventful  day: 

Inviting  his  caller  to  ride  with  him  and  return 
to  tea,  Mr.  Stone  stepped  back  to  the  door  and 
called  out :  "  Set  a  plate  for  a  visitor  at  supper, — 
a  friend  from  the  West,"  and  off  they  started. 
Therefore  it  was  that  when  an  hour  later  they  were 
carried  in,— one  dead  and  the  other  apparently 
dying, — the  latter  was  a  person  of  whom  nothing 
was  known,  excepting  that  he  was  from  the  West. 
It  is  a  fact  worthy  of  mention  here,  that  down  to 
the  present  time,  President  Strong  has  no  recollec- 
tion of  anything  whatsoever,  between  his  setting 
out  on  the  drive,  and  his  recovery  of  consciousness 
some  thirty-six  hours  afterward.  That  evening,  for 
some  forgotten  reason,  in  anticipation  of  the  usual 
time,  the  Sunday  School  Christmas  festival  of  the 
church  of  which  I  was  pastor  was  held.  In  the 
midst  of  the  proceedings,  while  the  gifts  from  the 
tree  were  being  distributed  and  all  was  merry,  some 
one  came  up  quickly  to  me  and  in  an  agitated  whis- 
per, communicated  the  dreadful  news  that  Principal 
Stone  and  an  unknown  gentleman  in  his  company 
had  been  run  over  by  a  railroad  train,  and  both 
killed.  At  once  I  thought  of  President  Strong,  and 
without  an  instant's  delay,  started  for  Mr.  Stone's 
house  near  by ; — in  my  excitement  going  as  I  recall, 


THE  SEVENTIES,  2  185 

hatless.  Arriving  there  I  found  all  confusion  and 
dismay.  Mr.  Stone  was  dead.  The  other  I  then 
learned  was  not,  but  was  only  just  alive.  He  had 
been  brought  to  the  house  because  he  was  with  Mr. 
Stone,  but  who  he  was  nobody  knew.  I  thought  I 
did,  and  was  conducted  to  the  room  into  which  be 
had  been  taken.  Yes,  it  was  James  Strong!  He 
lay  in  his  clothes,  on  the  outside  of  the  bed,  scarcely 
breathing,  and  wholly  unconscious.  For  several 
hours  it  was  by  the  doctors  deemed  probable,  was 
indeed  scarcely  doubted,  that  his  internal  injuries 
would  prove  fatal.  After  awhile,  however,  there 
was  a  rally  of  his  vital  forces,  and  there  began  to 
be  more  hope  for  him."* 

It  could  not  but  be  that  by  so  tragic  an  experi- 
ence befalling  a  stranger  amongst  us,  our  good 
Hartford  people  were  deeply  affected,  and  much 
drawn  out  in  their  kindly  feeling  toward  him.  He 
was,  too,  in  a  peculiar  manner  associated  in  their 
thoughts  with  Principal  Stone, — a  man  greatly  hon- 
ored and  beloved, — whose  death  was  a  public  sor- 
row. When,  the  Sunday  before  he  left  us  to  return 
to  his  Minnesota  home,  Mr.  Strong  preached  in 
our  Asylum  Hill  church,  though  obliged  by  his 
broken  ankle  to  speak  resting  one  knee  on  a  chair, 
a  great  many  besides  those  of  our  own  congrega- 
tion were  present,  eager  to  hear  one  in  whom,  for 
such  a  cause,  so  deep  an  interest  had  been  taken 
by  the  whole  community.  President  Strong  had 
said  to  me,  just  before  the  accident :  "  If  there 
,were  any  way  in  the  world  to  get  money  for  that 

*His  physician,  Dr.  P.  W.  Ellsworth,  afterward  said  to 
him:  "  Mr.  Strong,  you  owe  your  life  to  this  single  fact  that 
you  had  not  poisoned  your  blood  with  tobacco  or  whiskey. 
Had  you  used  either  it  would  have  turned  the  scale  against 
you." 


186  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

college  but  this  dreadful  way  of  begging,  how  glad 
and  thankful  I  would  be  to  take  it ! "  Recalling 
this  to  him,  two  or  three  years  later,  I  asked  him 
if  he  would  be  willing  to  earn  another  fifty  thousand 
dollars  for  it,  by  being  run  over  by  a  railroad  train ; 
at  which  he  shook  his  head  a  good  deal  doubtfully, 
and  said :  "  I  should  wish  the  assurance  that  this 
is  the  Lord's  will  concerning  me." 

There  happened  a  thing  to  me  at  a  subsequent 
period,  that  as  incidentally  and  in  a  striking  man- 
ner arising  from  the  events  I  have  been  rehearsing, 
it  may  not  be  amiss  for  me,  by  way  of  appendix, 
to  relate.  One  summer,  not  many  years  ago,  I  was 
on  a  pedestrian  tour  with  my  friend,  Mark  Twain, 
in  Switzerland.  It  was  our  wont  in  our  long  days' 
walks  to  entertain  one  another  with  various  dis- 
course,— various  narrative, — often  with  tales  of 
personal  reminiscence.  I  chanced  one  day  to  call 
up  out  of  the  past  this  foregoing  story  of  President 
Strong,  which  I  told  at  length,  in  all  its  particulars 
in  minute  detail,  making  as  much  of  a  story  of  it  as 
I  could,  there  being  a  plenty  of  time.  I  was  just 
finishing  it,  had  just  reached  its  dramatic  climax, — 
Mr.  Carleton's  fifty  thousand  dollars, — when  a 
sharp  turn  in  the  road  brought  us  abruptly  face  to 
face  with  President  Strong  himself !  so  that  I  was 
able,  after  a  momentary  pause  of  speechless  aston- 
ishment, to  say :  "  And  here  is  the  very  man ! 
President  Strong,  let  me  introduce  you."  He  was 
also  there  on  a  pedestrian  tour,  yet  neither  of  us 
knew  that  the  other  was  in  the  country.  My  friend 
was  something  of  a  believer  in  telepathy;  and  as 
presently  we  resumed  our  journey,  he  said :  "  You 
felt  him  coming.  That's  the  reason  why  that  story 
rose  to  the  surface  just  now." 


THE  SEVENTIES,  2  187 

March  had  arrived  before  this  sorely  stricken 
couple  could  set  out  upon  their  return  homeward. 
After  three  months  the  president  was  able,  only 
with  the  greatest  difficulty,  to  move  about  with  the 
aid  of  crutches;  while  for  a  year  it  was  necessary 
to  depend  upon  the  assistance  of  either  crutches  or 
cane.  Nor  from  that  calamitous  day  to  this,  though 
some  thirty-three  years  have  come  and  gone,  have 
the  severe  internal  injuries  then  received  ceased 
to  make  themselves  well-nigh  constantly  felt  in 
various  trying  limitations  and  bodily  ills;  with  all 
this  added  to  the  already  chronic  diseased  condition 
of  the  organs  of  sight.  Let  it  not  be  forgotten  that 
whatever  achievements  President  Strong  has  ever 
made  in  Carleton's  behalf  have  been  wrought  out 
in  despite  of  these  vexatious  impediments  and  these 
heavy  burdens  of  physical  infirmity.  For  the  most 
part  they  have  been  borne  in  silence. 

And  now  for  the  almost  incredible  sequel.  It 
was  to  give  the  greater  point  and  emphasis  to  this, 
and  not  to  glorify  or  excite  sympathy  for  the  in- 
dividual, that  the  facts  just  cited  have  been  re- 
called. Let  it  be  suggested  again  that  though  a 
host  of  earnest-hearted  ones  have  endured  trial,  sor- 
row and  pain  in  the  service  of  country  or  the 
Kingdom,  surely  seldom  has  the  vicarious  element 
been  more  noticeable  than  here;  the  individual  suf- 
fering loss  in  order  that  to  the  many  greater  good 
might  accrue.  At  least,  scarcely  ever  has  the  con- 
nection been  so  close,  so  marked,  so  altogether  un- 


188  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

mistakable,  between  the  pain  of  the  one  and  the 
profit  of  the  other.  For  the  fact  can  scarcely  be 
gainsaid  that  if  that  Hartford  casualty  had  not 
occurred,  and  so  the  president  had  returned  safe 
and  sound,  hale  and  hearty,  the  munificent  Carleton 
donation  to  the  college  (not  to  name  other  gifts 
which,  directly  or  indirectly,  are  tracable  to  the 
same  source  of  inspiration),  had  never  been  made. 
As  Miss  Willis  judged :  "  It  must  have  been  the 
work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  his  heart."  The 
theology  may  not  have  been  of  the  highest  order, 
the  logic  may  not  have  been  sound,  the  inference 
may  not  have  been  demanded  or  even  rational ;  yet, 
in  the  mind  of  this  devout  and  successful  man  of 
affairs  the  matter  stood  in  this  fashion :  Of  course 
he  was  greatly  shocked  and  deeply  impressed  by  the 
intelligence  of  the  death  of  the  clergyman,  the  col- 
lege president,  with  whom  he  had  held  much  pleas- 
ant intercourse,  and  from  whom  he  had  parted  only 
a  few  hours  before.  And  then,  when  the  tidings 
came  that  he  was  still  alive,  might  even  recover, 
and  thus  carry  forward  the  great  task  to  which 
he  so  recently  had  been  set  apart,  it  seemed  pass- 
ing strange,  the  next  thing  to  the  miraculous.  And 
what  did  it  mean?  What  was  the  divine  purpose 
in  sparing  his  life?  The  inference  was  drawn  that 
evidently  the  Lord  had  some  important  work  for 
Mr.  Strong  to  do;  and  also  that  he  himself,  as  a 
Christian  man  blessed  with  a  goodly  bank  account, 
in  this  weighty  matter  must  by  no  means  fail  to  be 


THE  SEVENTIES,  2  189 

a  co-worker  with  the  Lord.  His  conclusion  was  to 
undertake  to  do  something  handsome  in  the  way 
of  endowment.  The  first  definite  statement  of  what 
might  be  expected  appears  in  a  letter  from  Miss 
Willis,  who  wrote  March  25,  1871  (but  woman- 
like, in  a  postscript)  :  "  Should  Mr.  Carleton  be 
blessed  with  health  a  few  weeks  or  months  longer, 
I  think  we  have  reason  to  hope  he  may  endow 
Northfield  College  with  $50,000."  April  4,  from 
the  same  hand  came  the  information  that  the  gift 
was  certain,  nor  was  it  long  before  a  remittance 
of  $15,000  actually  arrived,  to  be  followed  a  few 
days  later  by  a  second  draft  for  $10,000,  and  then 
another  for  the  final  $25,000.  Within  the  space 
of  six  weeks  the  entire  amount  was  on  deposit  in 
a  Faribault  bank!  It  constituted  the  marvel  of 
trie  day  for  all  that  region,  and  was  the  largest 
sum  which  up  to  that  time  had  ever  been  bestowed 
upon  a  western  institution  of  learning.  And  this 
though  President  Merriman  had  said,  "  No,  no ! 
To  make  an  effort  is  preposterous!" 

It  may  safely  be  left  to  the  reader's  imagination 
to  picture  the  thoughts  and  feelings  which  had 
filled  the  minds  and  hearts  of  the  friends  of  the 
college  during  the  almost  six  months  intervening 
between  that  thrilling  inauguration  day  and  the  re- 
ception of  these  almost  incredible  -glad  tidings.  At 
the  beginning  a  well  known  and  trusted  leader  se- 
cured, ready  at  once  to  enter  upon  his  work,  with 
a  large  sum  subscribed  for  the  relief  of  the  strait- 


190          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

ened  finances;  thus  speedily  restoring  shattered 
hopes,  like  bringing  life  from  the  dead.  Next  his 
departure  eastward,  with  little  known  of  what  was 
occurring,  whether  success  or  failure  was  attending 
the  great  venture;  then  the  startling,  sickening 
intelligence  of  the  accident;  the  president  dead  or 
dying,  or  if  his  life  was  spared,  likely  to  be  for 
life  a  physical  wreck;  and  when  he  appeared  again 
in  Faribault,  with  little  in  his  condition  to  re- 
store hope  and  courage.  And  what  did  it  all  mean  ? 
Was  it  a  cruel  mockery  of  providence  ?  Why  these 
so  many  alternations  between  hope  and  fear  ?  And 
so  when  a  veritable  windfall  was  announced,  a 
gift  that  then  seemed  larger  than  a  half-million 
would  to-day,  it  is  no  wonder  that  the  multitude 
were  incredulous,  even  unwilling  to  believe  any 
good  news.  Too  many  times  already  had  they 
been  deceived  by  false  hopes.  And  such  natural 
skepticism  manifested  itself  in  Northfield,  when  one 
day  in  May  a  handbill  scattered  broadcast  called 
the  citzens  together,  saying :  "  Fifty  thousand  dol- 
lars for  Northfield  College !  Come  out  to-night  and 
hear  the  story."  From  not  a  few  the  response  took 
the  form  of  a  shake  of  the  head  coupled  with  a 
knowing  look,  supposing  the  school  was  really  de- 
funct ;  suspicious  that  some  trick  was  to  be  sprung ; 
an  attempt  to  be  made  to  raise  the  preposterous 
sum  named.  "  H'm !  Another  scheme  to  get  sub- 
scriptions ! "  It  was  found  necessary  to  make  the 
plain  declaration  that  the  figures  given  stood  for 


THE  SEVENTIES,  2  191 

a  donation  actually  in  hand.  So  a  great  gathering 
was  held  in  Wheaton's  hall,  at  which  Hon.  S.  W. 
Furber  presided,  and  addresses  were  made — of 
course  to  a  jubilant  audience — by  the  president,  sup- 
ported upon  crutches;  by  Revs.  A.  K.  Packard,  E. 
M.  Williams,  Richard  Hall,  M.  A.  Munson,  J.  F. 
Wilcox  and  Hon.  Chas.  A.  Wheaton.  So  astound- 
ingly  felicitous  did  the  situation  seem,  that  even 
some  of  the  trustees  present  were  inclined  to  con- 
clude that  their  days  of  stress  and  anxiety  were  over. 
But  Mr.  Williams  warned  them,  and  all  others  who 
might  share  their  over-sanguine  anticipation,  that 
this  was  not  the  end  of  giving;  was  only  the  be- 
ginning, since  "  a  college  always  needs  more.  It  is 
like  a  hungry  dog;  you  throw  him  a  piece  of  meat, 
he  swallows  it  down  with  a  gulp  and  then  looks 
at  you  just  as  wistfully  for  more."  The  years  since 
have  abundantly  established  the  wisdom  of  those 
words. 

Nevertheless,  the  long  and  dreary  and  most  try- 
ing days  of  probation  were  at  length  really  at  an 
end.  Abundance  of  hardest  work  was  still  in  store, 
accompanied  with  pinching  times;  but  no  more 
occasion  for  timidity  and  hesitation  because  of 
possible  collapse.  With  wise  and  resolute  grappling 
with  each  difficulty  as  it  arose,  from  henceforth 
only  good  cheer  was  in  order.  Night  and  winter 
were  past,  it  was  now  daybreak  and  springtime. 
With  such  a  reputation  both  West  and  East,  with  a 
leader  and  organizer  so  well  equipped  for  his  task, 


192          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

possessed  of  such  a  substantial  beginning  of  finan- 
cial resources ;  ultimate  success  might  wisely  almost 
be  taken  for  granted.  But  during  the  same  days  of 
rejoicing  other  unmistakable  tokens  of  prosperity 
were  visible.  In  May  the  president  took  up  his 
residence  in  Northfield,  while  during  the  summer 
the  walls  of  the  long-expected  stone  building  were 
actually  rising  at  length.  The  catalogue  of  1870-1 
named  a  faculty  of  5,  followed  by  a  register  of 
1 10  students,  of  whom  75  were  "  gentlemen  "  and 
35  were  "  ladies."  The  college  department  had  at- 
tained to  a  membership  of  6,  the  freshman  class 
numbering  5.  The  closing  pages  of  this  document 
bear  an  announcement  entitled,  "  Mr.  Carleton's 
Donation,"  and  "  Change  of  Name ;"  and  give  the 
action  taken  by  the  board  in  relation  thereto.  The 
trustees  say  in  part :  "  At  the  time  this  college 
started  there  seemed  no  reason  to  suppose  that  it 
would  be  exempt  from  the  trials  and  embarrass- 
ments to  which  similar  enterprises  are  usually  sub- 
jected. It  was  felt  to  be  a  great  undertaking,  one 
that  would  involve  years  of  sacrifice  and  patience 
and  toil.  Still  it  was  the  conviction  of  Christian  men 
that  the  necessities  of  the  time  demanded  an  institu- 
tion which  should  attempt  to  set  up  a  high  standard 
of  education  for  the  youth  of  our  state;. and  espe- 
cially aid  in  raising  up  recruits  for  the  Gospel 
ministry.  It  would  be  in  vain  to  deny  that  there 
have  been  dark  days  in  the  brief  period  since  our 
college  began.  Yet,  in  the  most  trying  circum- 


THE  SEVENTIES,  2  193 

stances  we  have  been  sustained  by  the  belief  that 
God's  hand  was  in  this  work.  If  this  be  so,  the 
college  cannot  fail.  If  this  enterprise  be  not  for 
God's  glory,  we  do  not  wish  it  to  succeed.  The 
gift  of  Mr.  Carleton  fills  us  with  joyful  surprise 
and  deep  gratitude.  We  accept  it  as  an  indication 
that  God  calls  us  to  prosecute  this  work  with  fresh 
zeal.  While  we  acknowledge  our  indebtedness  to 
the  donor,  we  would  heartily  thank  our  Heavenly 
Father,  the  giver  of  this  and  every  good  gift.  The 
form  of  this  donation,  in  funds  at  once  available, 
renders  it  of  peculiar  value  to  us  at  the  present  point 
in  our  history.  As  a  board  of  trust  we  shall  en- 
deavor to  use  it  wisely ;  and  we  are  especially  grati- 
fied at  the  manner  of  the  gift,  full  liberty  being 
allowed  us  to  apply  it  as  the  interests  of  the  col- 
lege may,  in  our  judgment,  demand.  So  far  from 
feeling  that  there  is  little  more  to  be  done,  we  feel 
an  increased  responsibility  and  a  new  readiness  to 
toil  and  give  for  the  college.  It  will  be  our  pleasure, 
with  the  donor's  consent,  to  give  his  name  hence- 
forth to  the  institution,  that  as  he  has  so  greatly 
added  to  its  early  resources,  so  it  may  in  future 
years  perpetuate  his  memory." 

We  are  constrained  to  quote  here  the  glowing 
words — prophetic  as  well  as  historic— of  Rev.  Dr. 
Lyman  Whiting,*  in  a  notable  address  at  Carle- 
ton's  anniversary,  June,  1871. 

*  For  sixty  years  Dr.  Whiting  has  been  a  gospel  preacher, 
and  although  an  octogenarian  since  1900,  is  still  in  the  pas- 


194          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

"We  are  assembled  not  far  from  the  geographi- 
cal center  of  the  continent.  The  schools  and  all  the 
treasures  for  learning  are  upon  one  side  of  us. 
A  realm  of  unmeasured  possibilities  on  the  other. 
We  come  here  to  look  into  a  cradle  in  which,  we 
think,  lies  an  infant  of  priceless  promise.  It  is  an 
American  college,  just  come  to  a  specific  name  and 
place  in  the  great  college  family.  We  look  to  see 
it  make  this  Minnesota  town  a  Christian  Athens, 
drawing  the  young  men  and  maidens,  by  the  in- 
spiration of  letters  and  science,  from  all  the  wide 
region  around  us.  How  wide  this  state  is,  one  of 
your  ministers  has  told  us.*  'Her  territory  is  capa- 
ble of  division  into  as  many  as  sixty-four  several 
parts,  each  of  which  should  be  as  large  as  the 
state  of  Rhode  Island.  She  out-measures  Massa- 
chusetts eleven  times,  and  she  might  twice  absorb 
Louisiana  or  Cuba.  Her  area  exceeds  that  of  Eng- 
land and  Scotland  together;  and  it  is  more  than 
twice  that  of  Holland,  Greece  and  Belgium  com- 
bined.' Her  natural  resources  are  beyond  esti- 
mate; the  climate,  beauty  of  scenery,  fertility,  for- 
ests, quarries,  mines,  'water-power,  vast,  immense 
and  perhaps  unparalleled  in  the  universality  of  its 
distribution,  unless  by  New  England/  In  the  midst 
of  such  a  state,  of  such  vastness  in  all  its  measure- 

torate  at  East  Charlemont,  Mass.  Both1  at  the  East  and  in 
the  West — in  city  and  in  country — he  has  rendered  faithful 
service,  never  being  out  of  the  pulpit  more  than  four  con- 
secutive Sundays'.  Having  a  strong  and  vigorous  style,  he 
has  written  much  for  the  press,  and  has  been  in  frequent 
demand  for  installation  sermons,  historical  addresses  and 
commencement  orations.  President  Strong  says  respecting  him  : 
"For  more  than  forty  years  an  intimate  personal  fellowship 
with  Dr.  Whiting  has  been  to  me  a  constant  source  of  in- 
tellectual and  spiritual  inspiration." 
*  Rev.  M.  A.  Munson. 


THE  SEVENTIES,  2  195 

ments  (except  its  means  for  culture),  you  plant 
this  college.  It  is  almost  on  the  border  of  a  new 
world;  truly  on  the  frontier  of  the  half  of  a  conti- 
nent yet  to  be  filled  with  men.  Your  story  of  ex- 
perience is  not  a  common  one.  It  had  a  remarkable 
prototype,  long  time  ago.  In  some  essential  par- 
ticulars your  beginnings  are  repetitions  of  elder 
members  in  the  national  family  of  colleges.  Let 
me  relate:  Close  by  the  water's  edge  on  the  slope 
of  land  from  Bunker's  Hill,  and  on  the  western 
side,  stands  a  granite  obelisk;  a  single  shaft,  fifteen 
feet  high,  four  feet  at  the  base  and  half  as  large 
at  the  summit.  It  was  hewn  by  special  permission 
from  the  quarry  of  'The  Bunker  Hill  Monument 
Association/  and  so  is  kindred  stone  to  that 
majestic  Word  of  Liberty  which  rises  a  few  fur- 
longs distant  from  the  one  we  describe.  On  it  a 
name  is  carved  in  'high  relief,'  said  to  be  the 
first  experiment  of  that  kind  of  work  on  granite 
in  this  country.  It  is  upon  the  face  of  the  shaft 
looking  over  the  ocean  to  the  old  England  from 
whence  he  came.  Harvard  is  the  name.  *  *  * 
On  the  opposite  side,  toward  Cambridge,  and  ex- 
changing glimpses  with  the  spires  of  the  university 
which  his  timely  gifts  created,  is  a  Latin  inscrip- 
tion, *  *  *  in  touching,  grateful  remembrance 
of  his  great  deed — the  planting,  one  hundred  and 
ninety  years  before,  of  the  little  germ,  in  the  un- 
known wilderness — the  first  New  World  college; 
a  Congregational  college. 

"From  the  parcel  of  ground  holding  that  stone 
could  have  been  seen  when  erected,  the  roof  of  a 
plain  old  mansion,  in  which  sometime  dwelt  the 
famed  orator,  proposing,  'tis  said,  this  grateful 


196          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

memorial,  and  whose  eloquent  tribute  to  the  re- 
vered benefactor,  at  its  placing,  enshrine  it  and  its 
subject  in  American  literature — Edward  Everett; 
and  in  which,  after  his  removal  to  high  civil  sta- 
tions, and  then  to  the  presidency  of  the  university, 
lived  for  a  series  of  years  a  prosperous,  benevolent, 
Christian  merchant,  whose  name  most  of  you  have 
learned — William  Carleton.  *  *  * 

"Congregational  care  for  true  learning  began  two 
hundred  and  forty  years  ago,  'on  the  wild  New 
England  shore;'  and  so  a  few  months  ago,  in  the 
middle  of  the  vast  continent,  fiften  hundred  miles 
from  John  Harvard's  grave,  a  fellow-townsman  of 
the  founder  and  god-sire  of  the  first  American  col- 
lege, surprises  the  world  by  planting  (and  grati- 
tude already  enshrines  his  name  upon  it)  another 
sapling  of  the  grand  old  stock — a  New  England 
college. 

«*  *  *  *  Friends  and  benefactors :  Looking 
from  this  joyful  day  into  the  coming  two  hundred 
years — mating  you  in  length  of  days  to  those  now 
attained  by  your  prototypes — dare  you  doubt  that 
these  notable  analogies  as  to  origin  and  infantile 
struggle,  shall  perpetuate  themselves  in  better  and 
higher  parallels?  Who  can  predict  otherwise  of 
what  the  coming  two-and-a-half  centuries  will  bring 
to  pass  upon  this  spot,  where  such  beginnings  were 
made,  and  upon  which  a  second  Charlestown  bene- 
factor— with  the  largeness  of  heart  and  faith  in 
the  care  of  the  church  for  true  learning,  so  en- 
nobling to  our  fathers — has  received  and  established 
a  struggling  college  consecrated  'to  Christ  and  his 
church/  and  in  doing  it  has  endowed  one  more 
human  name  with  immortal  gratitude?" 


THE  SEVENTIES,  2  197 

In  this  connection  it  is  interesting  to  recall  the 
fact  that  in  the  list  of  queries  presented  to  the  board 
by  Mr.  Strong,  before  accepting  the  presidency  to 
which  they  had  elected  him,  was  one  as  to  the  condi- 
tions under  which  he  might  be  at  liberty  to  promise 
to  change  the  name  of  the  college ;  and  that  he  went 
east  upon  that  most  eventful  (almost  fatal  also) 
first  quest  for  funds,  empowered  to  connect  it  with 
the  bestowal  of  $50,000 ! 

After  thus  setting  forth  somewhat  in  detail  the 
capital  event  of  achievement  of  this  decade,  with 
which  it  also  opened,  it  remains  to  narrate  with 
much  greater  brevity  the  further  steps  of  progress 
witnessed  before  its  close.  No  one  of  these,  or 
perhaps  all  combined,  equaled  in  importance  the 
first,  but  certainly  taken  in  the  aggregate  they  are 
in  full  keeping  with  it.  Thus,  as  was  fitting  and 
necessary,  the  great  donation  was  followed  in  due 
season  by  divers  considerable,  though  less  conspicu- 
ous, gifts;  so  that  just  two  years  from  the  date  of 
his  inauguration,  the  president  was  able  to  report 
to  the  conference  the  financial  standing  of  the  insti- 
tution as  follows:  Endowment,  $61,080;  building 
and  real  estate,  $43,464;  bills  receivable,  $12,504; 
total,  $127,236.  Deducting  debts,  $16,314  (money 
borrowed  for  the  completion  of  the  new  building), 
$110,206.  In  1873  Miss  Willis  bestowed  $10,000 
to  pay  the  indebtedness  upon  the  hall,  then  finished 
and  occupied,  which  fittingly  from  henceforth  was 
to  bear  her  name;  the  next  year  $13,000  more  were 


198          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

secured  in  thrifty,  great-hearted  New  England; 
and  the  year  following  that,  $15,000  additional  in 
the  same  bountiful  region.  Prior  to  1876  the 
benefactions  had  amounted  to  $141,000,  of  which 
$70,000,  almost  one-half,  represented  the  lavish 
affection  of  the  two  immortals  among  the  early 
friends  of  the  college :  William  Carleton  and  Susan 
Willis.  During  that  year  Charles  Boswell,  of  West 
Hartford,  Connecticut,  donated  $5,000  as  a  student- 
aid  fund  and  at  an  earlier  date  Dr.  H.  N.  Brins- 
made  of  Newark,  New  Jersey,  had  been  the  giver 
of  a  like  sum.  By  June  of  the  closing  year  of  this 
period  the  endowment  had  climbed  to  $97,502,  in- 
cluding an  annuity  of  $8,000,  and  two  prize  funds 
amounting  to  $644.  In  addition  to  this  were  real 
estate  now  worth  $55,240;  apparatus,  etc.,  to  the 
value  of  $19,333;  and  sundry  items,  $3,803;  mak- 
ing a  grand  total  of  $175,576;  or  with  an  indebt- 
edness of  $4,752  deducted,  of  $170,327.  This 
really  handsome  sum  was  mainly  the  fruit  of  the 
industry,  energy  and  skill  of  the  president.  And 
how  marvelous  the  change  since  the  date  of  his 
election,  when  all  there  was  to  show  for  the  $36,- 
572  subscribed  in  Northfield  and  collected  by  Mr. 
Seccombe  in  the  state  at  large,  was  the  campus, 
the  ex-hotel  and  furniture  costing  $16,163.66,  un- 
paid pledges  (too  many  of  them  never  to  be  paid), 
$8,722,  and  a.  debt  to  the  teachers  amounting  to 
nearly  a  half-year's  salary.  Especial  mention  should 
be  made  of  a  canvass  in  1875  in  Minnesota  for 


THE  SEVENTIES,  2  199 

$20,000  wherewith  to  endow  the  chair  of  physical 
science.  It  will  be  interesting  to  note  the  names 
of  the  various  cities  and  villages  which  shared  in 
the  giving,  and  the  amounts  pledged  by  each : 

Northfield    $7,785   Albert  Lea $600 

Minneapolis    ....   4,000  Owatonna    440 

Excelsior    2,000   Red   Wing 275 

Austin    1,125   Lake  City 200 

Winona    1,080  Faribault   200 

St.  Paul J,O75   St.  Charles 150 

Mankato    670   Other  Towns 395 

During  these  same  ten  years  the  number  of  build- 
ings devoted  to  college  uses  advanced  from  two  to 
five.  For  more  than  five  years  the  transformed 
American  House  constituted  "  the  college,"  though 
at  an  early  day  a  structure,  originally  utilized  as  a 
store,  was  removed  to  the  same  neighborhood  and 
was  reconstructed  into  fitness  for  self-boarding. 
As  we  saw,  early  in  1867  the  board  voted  the  erec- 
tion of  a  roomy  arid  comely  edifice  of  brick,  which 
for  good  and  sufficient  reasons  never  materalized. 
Two  tedious  years  passed  before,  with  a  change  of 
material  decided  upon,  the  corner-stone  was  laid 
with  eclat;  though  with  only  a  dead  halt  following 
in  building  operations  for  two  years  more.  But 
finally,  under  the  impulse  of  the  election  of  a  presi- 
dent, the  walls  were  completed  and  the  roof  was  put 
in  place,  with  the  dedication  following  in  due  sea- 
son. An  indebtedness  incurred  was  presently  met 
by  a  gift  of  $10,000  from  Miss  Willis.  Provision 


200          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

was  thus  made  for  a  chapel,  recitation  rooms,  a 
number  of  dormitories  for  men  upon  the  third 
floor,  a  library,  cabinet,  and  also,  for  a  season,  a 
chemical  laboratory  in  the  basement.  What  had 
been  "  the  college "  straightway  shriveled  into 
"  Ladies'  Hall."  The  Seccombe  house  was  pur- 
chased in  1874,  destined  to  come  to  fame  as  "  Music 
Hall  " ;  and  the  same  year  the  campus  was  enlarged 
from  twenty  acres  to  twenty-five.  Before  the  close 
of  this  period  the  library  had  increased  to  2,000 
volumes,  with  the  beginning  also  made  for  a  library 
fund  as  well  as  for  a  collection  of  geological  speci- 
mens. 

The  Astronomical  Observatory. — A  third  addi- 
tion to  the  list  of  college  buildings  remains  to  be 
mentioned,  which,  though  relatively  small  and  in- 
expensive, probably  far  beyond  any  other  played 
a  part  in  spreading  the  name  and  fame  of  Carleton. 
The  reference  is  to  the  "  old "  observatory,  the 
monument  also  almost  exclusively  of  the  genius 
and  enthusiasm  of  Professor  Payne,  who  appears 
to  have  been  born  for  the  performance  of  such  a 
task  as  this.  When  a  boy  a  copy  of  Smith's  As- 
tronomy held  him  bewitched  for  weeks.  Arrived 
at  man's  estate,  a  telescope  was  purchased,  which 
also  was  brought  with  him  to  Minnesota;  where 
he  soon  became  superintendent  of  schools  in  Dodge 
county  and  editor  of  the  "Minnesota  Teacher."  He 
had  entered  the  faculty  as  head  of  the  department 
of  mathematics  and  astronomy,  but  while  then  and 


THE  SEVENTIES,  2  201 

ever  since  a  master  in  the  former  realm,  in  turning 
to  the  latter  his  heart  was  always  certain  to  kindle 
to  a  flame.  Soon  a  summer's  vacation  was  passed 
in  the  Cincinnati  observatory,  with  visits  also  made 
to  other  points  where  excellent  astronomical  in- 
struments were  in  use;  with  longings  resulting  for 
similar  appliances  for  his  own  use,  which  later  de- 
veloped into  a  belief  that  in  some  way  he  could 
procure  the  same;  and  finally  into  a  determination 
to  make  a  resolute  attempt  in  that  direction.  In 
those  primitive  days  of  extreme  poverty,  in  the 
midst  of  so  many  imperative  needs,  a  scheme  like 
this  could  easily  be  made  to  seem  preposterous. 
However,  conferring  with  President  Strong  upon 
the  matter,  the  two  were  soon  in  perfect  accord, 
even  to  this  decision:  "What  we  have  shall,  first, 
as  to  quality  be  of  the  very  best,  and  after  that, 
size  shall  be  considered."  A  telescope,  a  sidereal 
clock,  and  a  transit  instrument,  were  the  three 
desiderata,  with  a  building  fashioned  to  their  uses. 
In  September,  1876,  was  taken  the  first  step  to- 
wards building  an  observatory.  President  Strong 
and  Professor  Payne,  passing  over  a  field  of  stub- 
ble, climbed  a  high-board  fence  into  a  pasture  not 
then  owned  by  the  college,  and  selected  a  site  for 
the  new  observatory  where  the  gymnasium  now 
stands.  Both  liked  the  location,  though  it  seemed 
to  the  former  rather  distant  from  Willis  Hall,  the 
only  school  building  then  on  the  campus.  Two 
years  later,  the  first  observatory  was  completed  and 


202  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

supplied  with  instruments  of  the  very  best  make 
the  country  could  furnish.  They  were  small,  but  of 
ample  size  for  illustration  in  teaching  college 
astronomy,  and  for  such  original  work  as  could  be 
undertaken  in  addition  to  regular  college  duties. 

The  way  the  college  came  into  possession  of 
this  first  astronomical  outfit  is  indeed  marvelous. 
When  thought  of  now,  more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
century  later,  it  seems  more  like  a  fairy  tale  than 
real  history  in  the  life  of  the  young  college.  The 
first  astronomical  clock,  costing  $500,  was  the  gift 
of  a  generous  friend;  the  three-inch  transit  instru- 
ment, meantime  clock,  chronometer  and  a  full  set 
of  meteorological  instruments  came  in  a  similar 
way;  but  the  8)4  inch  equatorial  telescope  was 
purchased  from  Alvan  Clark  &  Sons  of  Cambridge, 
at  a  cost  of  nearly  $3,000.  When  the  order  was 
given  the  college  had  no  money  for  such  use,  and 
the  trustees  would  order  the  purchase  only  on 
the  condition  that  the  president  could  see  the  way 
for  making  the  payment.  Mr.  Clark  was  much  in- 
terested in  the  venture  of  a  college  then  not  ten 
years  old,  and  he  promised  to  wait  one  year  and  a 
half  for  his  pay.  Before  the  note  matured  gifts 
had  been  received  for  this  purpose,  so  that  the 
obligation  was  discharged  even  before  the  appointed 
day.  The  telescope  was  put  into  its  place  in  Decem- 
ber, 1878,  and  Mr.  Clark  said  of  it :  "  The  glass 
is  one  of  the  best,  if  not  the  very  best,  I  have 
ever  made."  The  same  glass,  now  in  the  new 


THE  SEVENTIES,  2  203 

observatory,  is  still  doing  perfect  service  after 
steady  use  for  more  than  twenty-five  years. 

The  next  important  step  related  to  the  mathe- 
matical library,  and  to  meteorological  instruments. 
One  generous  Northfield  friend  gave  his  attention 
to  both  of  these  needs,  and  accurate  meteorological 
records  were  begun  at  once.  As  a  result  the  observ- 
atory was  made  a  government  station  for  regular 
reports,  and  later  it  was  recognized  as  the  center 
of  a  state  voluntary  service,  and  the  government 
furnished  a  regular  observer,  which  was  the  first 
of  such  state  services  thus  adopted  in  the  United 
States.  About  the  same  time  an  excellent  mathe- 
matical library  was  loaned  to  the  observatory,  and 
this  was  the  beginning  of  the  large  collection  of 
books  now  possessed,  covering  fairly  well  the  sub- 
jects of  mathematics  and  general  astronomy. 

Time-Signals. — The  first  electric  time-signals  in 
the  Northwest  were  sent  out  from  Northfield,  Octo- 
ber 23,  1877;  ar]d  soon  nearly  all  the  railway  com- 
panies having  general  offices  in  the  Twin  Cities 
adopted  the  Carleton  College  time,  finding  it 
reliable  and  accurate.  The  form  of  these  signals 
has  not  been  changed,  but  is  now  in  general  use 
everywhere.  Their  adoption  was  brought  about  in 
this  way :  While  work  on  the  first  observatory 
building  was  in  progress,  it  occurred  one  day  that 
an  official  of  the  railroad  running  through  North- 
field  put  to  Professor  Payne  the  question :  "  How 
can  we  get  accurate  time  for  the  running  of  our 


204          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

trains  ?  "  and  was  informed  that  presently  it  could 
be  had  at  this  observatory;  with  the  further  assur- 
ance given  in  response  to  an  inquiry,  that  the 
time  furnished  would  not  vary  a  half-second  from 
absolute  accuracy;  which  close  approximation  to 
perfection  was  pronounced  eminently  satisfactory. 
As  soon  as  the  instruments  were  in  place  the  time 
was  sent  daily  to  the  headquarters  of  this  railroad 
at  noon  exact,  nor  was  it  long  before  various  other 
roads  centering  in  St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis  sought 
the  same  highly  valued  opportunity  to  set  their 
clocks  by  the  stars,  and  besides  were  ready  to  pay 
a  handsome  sum  for  the  boon.  From  that  time 
to  the  present  from  7,000  to  15,000  miles  of  rail- 
way have  been  satisfactorily  served.  After  a  few 
years  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company, 
jealous  of  this  rival  and  plotting  its  destruction, 
refused  the  use  of  its  wires  and  offered  to  do  the 
same  work  gratis.  The  attempt,  however,  met 
with  failure,  for  fortunately  the  wires  of  a  rival 
company  had  been  strung  within  a  few  miles  of 
the  observatory,  and  only  a  short  branch  line  was 
needed  to  maintain  communication  with  the  two 
cities,  which  line  also  our  enterprising  astronomer 
constructed  at  his  own  expense.  Moreover,  for 
several  years  the  observatory  was  headquarters  for 
the  government  weather  signal-service,  with  Pro- 
fessor Payne  as  director. 

We  come  next  to  a  notice  of  the  marked  enlarge- 
ment of  the  teaching  force  of  the  college ;  even  more 


THE  SEVENTIES,  2  205 

vital  to  its  prosperity  than  buildings  and  endow- 
ment; since  without  a  lofty  standard  of  excellence 
here,  all  else  is  but  hollow  and  deceitful  show. 
For  three  years  Professor  Goodhue  had  patiently 
and  efficiently  borne  the  heavy  burdens  and  per- 
formed the  varied  tasks  which  had  fallen  to  his 
lot  as  pioneer,  with  two  or  three  assistants.  Next 
came  Mr.  Strong  to  be  not  only  president,  but 
also  professor  of  mental  and  moral  philosophy; 
and  the  next  year,  1871,  William  W.  Payne  was 
chosen  professor  of  mathematics  and  astronomy. 
It  was  in  1874  that  Miss  Margaret  J.  Evans  entered 
the  faculty  as  preceptress  and  teacher  of  modern 
languages,  thus  completing  the  illustrious  quartet, 
easily  chief  and  unrivaled  among  Carleton's  build- 
ers. After  two  years  the  advent  occurred  of  Alice 
L.  Armsby,  teacher  of  Latin,  who  soon  gained  the 
esteem  and  warm  regard  of  all;  and  of  Lyman 
B.  Sperry,  M.  D.,  who  exchanged  the  excitements 
and  manifold  responsibilities  of  an  Indian  agent 
at  Ft.  Berthold,  Dakota,  for  the  chair  of  physical 
science.  Soon  after  appear  the  names  of  John 
B.  Clark,  professor  of  political  economy  and  his- 
tory (now  of  Columbia  university),  and  as  the  dec- 
ade was  closing,  of  Rev.  George  Huntington,  from 
a  pastorate  in  Oak  Park,  Illinois,  to  be  professor 
of  logic  and  rhetoric,  and  instructor  in  elocution. 
Omitting  some  names  of  those  whose  stay  was  brief, 
mention  must  be  made  of  Dwight  C.  Rice,  now  of 
Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  the  head  and  practically  the 


206          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

founder  of  the  music  department;  Mrs.  Mary  J. 
Boies  (afterwards  Mrs.  Rice),  matron  and  teacher 
of  calisthenics;  and  Anna  T.  Lincoln,  matron  for 
some  years,  though  more  recently  known  as  super- 
intendent of  the  domestic  department.  As  set- 
ting forth  the  quite  phenomenal  development  of 
this  phase  of  college  activity,  the  catalogue  of 
1879-80  contains  no  less  than  13  names  of  "  faculty 
and  instructors,"  in  place  of  the  paltry  3  of  ten 
years  before. 

A  review  of  the  increase  in  student  attendance 
is  almost  equally  satisfactory.  During  the  sixties 
the  intellectual  grade  was  simply  that  of  the  aver- 
age academy.  Not  many  had  in  view  any  extended 
course  of  study,  and  quite  a  large  proportion  de- 
voted themselves  to  books  only  during  the  winter 
months.  Until  1870  no  college  class  had  been 
formed,  and  this  because  no  material  for  one  was 
at  hand.  The  catalogue  of  five  years  later  con- 
tains the  names  of  256  different  students,  of  whom 
17  are  in  the  college  proper,  84  in  the  prepara- 
tory department,  136  in  the  English  department, 
and  70  in  the  musical  department.  Five  years  later 
still,  these  were  the  numbers  in  the  various  depart- 
ments: college,  61;  preparatory,  100;  English,  112; 
musical,  77;  a  total  of  304  different  students  dur- 
ing the  year.  The  first  class  graduated  from  the 
college  in  1874,  consisting  of  two  members,  James 
J.  Dow,  and  Myra  A.  Brown.  At  the  end  of  ten 
years  from  the  opening  of  the  school,  no  less  than 


THE  SEVENTIES,  2  207 

793  had  been  under  tuition  for  a  longer  or  shorter 
time. 

A  few  miscellaneous,  though  by  no  means  in- 
significant items  remain  to  be  mentioned.  These 
five  colleges  under  Congregational  auspices  were 
incorporated  during  the  seventies,  as  against  the 
eleven  of  the  decade  preceding :  Doane,  Drury,  Colo- 
rado, Smith  and  Wellesley.  The  state  university  in 
point  of  growth  was  fairly  outdone  by  Carleton, 
since  its  9  teachers  and  245  students  in  the  open- 
ing year  of  the  period,  had  only  advanced  to  17  and 
308  respectively.  In  Latin  and  preparatory  studies, 
there  had  been  a  falling  off  from  245  to  108.  As 
yet  no  signs  appeared  that  this  institution  had  much 
of  prosperity  in  store.  Three  deaths  occurred  of 
which  special  mention  must  be  made.  Rev. 
Charles  Galpin,  a  forerunner  and  pioneer  for  edu- 
cation in  Minnesota,  ascended  to  his  reward  in  1872. 
A  "  reformer  before  the  reformation  "  he  may  well 
be  deemed,  and  as  such  should  be  numbered  with 
the  worthies.  He  labored  and  others  entered  into  his 
labors.  William  Carleton  and  Susan  Willis  (she 
having  not  long  before  become  Mrs.  Carleton) 
finished  their  course  on  earth  only  a  few  months 
apart,  she  dying  in  March  and  he  in  December 
of  1876.  It  is  difficult  indeed,  if  not  impossible, 
to  say  to  which  of  these  two  the  college  owes  most. 
The  sums  connected  with  his  name  are  larger,  yet 
her  gifts  also  reach  goodly  proportions;  and  be- 
sides, only  the  Great  Searcher  of  hearts  can  say 


208          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

how  much  of  what  he  bestowed  was  imparted  under 
the  inspiration  of  this,  his  good  angel;  almost  his 
other  and  better  self.  Considering  the  time,  the 
manner  and  the  outcome  of  their  united  benefac- 
tions, the  debt  of  gratitude  owed  can  scarcely  be 
too  highly  estimated.  This  biographical  statement 
appeared  in  print  at  the  time: 

"On  the  fifth  of  December,  1876,  in  the  eightieth 
year  of  his  age,  the  munificent  benefactor  of  the 
college,  William  Carleton,  departed  this  life.  He 
was  a  man  quiet  and  simple  in  his  manners,  retiring 
in  disposition,  yet  decided  in  character,  unswerving 
in  integrity,  and  of  earnest  Christian  faith.  His 
life  began  in  Haverhill,  Mass.,  where  he 
served  seven  years  as  apprentice  to  a  tinman.  When 
twenty-one  he  went  to  Charlestown  to  follow  his 
trade;  and  after  a  few  years  opened  a  small  shop 
and  store  on  Washington  street,.  Boston,  where 
he  began  the  manufacture  of  hand-lamps.  Pros- 
perity attended  him,  and  removing  to  Beach  street, 
he  gradually  enlarged  his  business,  until  his  manu- 
factory of  lamps,  chandeliers  and  gas  fixtures  gave 
employment  to  about  three  hundred  workmen.  His 
benevolence  began  in  early  life  and  increased  with 
his  income,  embracing  in  its  objects  not  only  the 
poor  at  home,  but  the  needy  far  away.  No  worthy 
applicant  was  turned  from  his  door  unaided.  To  his 
own  church,  to  foreign  missions,  to  home  missions, 
to  the  cause  of  education  in  the  West  and  the  South, 
his  gifts  were  in  the  aggregate  very  large.  Many 


THE  SEVENTIES,  2  209 

feeble  churches  struggling  to  complete  a  new  sanc- 
tuary received  from  him  needed  assistance;  and  to 
several  institutions  of  learning  his  aid  was  liber- 
ally given.  But  the  one  generous  deed  which  will 
secure  the  record  of  his  name  in  history,  was  the 
donation  to  this  college  in  1871  of  $50,000.  The 
influences  tending  to  this  result  were  quite  varied, 
but  in  them  all  the  providence  of  God  was  spe- 
cially manifest.  The  amount  came  without  the 
least  ostentation,  without  any  conditions,  and  in 
the  most  available  form.  The  board  of  trustees 
unanimously  requested  permission  to  bestow  his 
name  upon  the  institution.  Other  gifts  were  added, 
and  from  him  and  other  members  of  his  family 
the  college  has  received  in  all  nearly  $70,000.  We 
can  never  cease  to  be  grateful  that  so  early  in  its 
history  the  college,  through  his  benevolence,  re- 
ceived such  assurance  of  life  and  permanent  use- 
fulness; or  cease  to  honor  the  memory  of  one  in 
whose  character  so  many  of  the  Christian  virtues 
were  most  nobly  exemplified."* 


*A  daughter-in-law,  Mrs.  Bertha  J.  Carleton,  adds  some 
facts  which  attest  his  native  force  of  character.  "Two  years 
after  the  erection  of  his  first  factory,  he  determined  to  in- 
troduce power,  and  had  an  engine  built  for  his  purpose  by 
M.  W.  Baldwin,  the  founder  of  the  'Baldwin  Locomotive 
Works/  in  Philadelphia.  When  it  had  been  put  into  opera- 
tion it  was  visited  by  many  mechanics  and  greatly  excited 
their  admiration.  Among  these  visitors  was  Otis  Tufts,  a 
machinist  of  Boston,  who  immediately  commenced  the  con- 
struction of  one  on  the  same  model,  which  was  the  begin- 
ning of  the  building  of  stationary  steam  engines  in  Boston. 
When  experiments  for  the  introduction  of  illuminating  gas 
into  Boston  were  undertaken,  Mr.  Carleton  became  much 


210  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

Taken  all  in  all,  these  ten  years  must  be  counted 
most  memorable  ones  in  the  history  of  Carleton. 
What  a  sharp  contrast,  in  every  particular,  between 
their  beginning  and  their  close.  Then  in  the  depths, 
the  thick  darkness,  almost  in  extremis;  but  now 
daybreak,  deliverance,  the  wilderness  of  wandering 
largely  left  behind,  the  Land  of  Promise  almost 
in  view.  A  capital  location,  a  choice  campus,  build- 
ings at  least  tolerable  for  present  uses,  a  fair  be- 
ginning of  endowment,  an  excellent  and  harmonious 
faculty  gathered,  with  students  already  numbered 
by  the  hundreds.  And  how  considerable  a  frac- 
tion of  all  this  had  followed  directly  from  that 
unanimous  vote  of  the  board  for  a  president,  in 
that  music-room  in  Ladies'  Hall,  September  13, 
1870!  But,  certainly,  not  exactly  so  prosperous 

interested,  and  entered  into  the  manufacture  of  gas  fixtures. 
Among  the  supplies  of  this'  new  branch  of  manufacture, 
were  brass  castings.  Having  difficulty  in  obtaining  suitable 
castings  for  this  and  other  purposes  of  his  business',  Mr. 
Carleton  started  a  brass  foundry  of  his  own.  From  this 
time  until  his  death  he  was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
a  great  variety  of  small  brass  works,  including  lamps  for 
oil  and  various  burning  fluids.  At  the  time  of  the  intro- 
duction of  kerosene  oil  he  also  was  the  first  to  enter  this 
field.  He  was  a  large  exporter,  sending  his  goods  to  nearly 
all  foreign  countries.  Mr.  Carleton  continued  in  the  super- 
vision of  his'  large  enterprise  until  his  eightieth  year,  retain- 
ing both  mental  and  physical  faculties.  In  times  of  ordinary 
activity  he  employed  four  hundred  men  and  many  women. 
Few  business  men  of  Boston  have  maintained  without  em- 
barrassment, during  more  than  half  a  century,  with  its  finan- 
cial crises,  such  a  profitable  industry."  Asf  characteristic 
of  the  man  it  may  be  added  that  late  in  life  for  several  years 
he  carried  on  his  business  at  an  annual  loss  of  not  less  than 
$10,000  rather  than  economize  for  his  own  advantage  by 
the  discharge  of  his  employees. 


THE  SEVENTIES,  2  ,211 

and  hope-inspiring  was  the  outlook  when,  about 
nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  December  23,  1879, 
(how  strange  that  the  Hartford  tragedy  also  oc- 
curred December  23,  exactly  nine  years  before!), 
in  the  midst  of  a  furious  blizzard,  Willis  Hall  took 
fire  and  soon  everything  combustible  was  con- 
sumed; excepting  that  the  cabinet  was  saved  in 
part,  and  the  library  also  in  part.  Vacation  had  but 
just  commenced,  the  students  were  absent  in  their 
homes,  so  that  the  most  prompt  and  vigorous 
measures  were  demanded  to  prevent  an  almost  irrep- 
arable stampede  and  collapse.  The  account  of 
what  followed  belongs  to  the  next  chapter,  which 
also  will  supply  another  illustration  of  the  fact 
that  often  what,  at  the  time,  wears  the  look  only  of 
bane  and  calamity,  really  turns  out  to  be  a  dis- 
tinguished blessing  instead. 


212          HISTORY  uF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  EIGHTIES. 

Carleton's  Adolescence. 

Minnesota. — During  this  decade  the  population 
of  the  state  increased  from  780,773  to  1,301,826. 
and  thus  at  a  rate  nothing  less  than  phenomenal. 
But  in  the  three  chief  cities  even  this  astonishing 
development    was    altogether    outdone.     St.   Paul 
advanced  from  41,473  to  133,156,  and  Minneapolis 
from  46,887  to   164,738.     It  was  now  also  that 
Duluth,  the  "Zenith  City  of  the  Unsalted  Seas," 
fairly  leaped  into  notoriety,  if  not  yet  into  fame, 
thanks  to  its  strategic  location  at  the  head  of  the 
Great  Lakes,  to  its  choice  railroad  connections,  and 
the  almost  startling  expansion  of  traffic  upon  Lake 
Superior  (helped  also  by  the  bombastic  and  amus- 
ing, but  also  truly  prophetic    oration  of  Proctor 
Knott  on  the  floor  of  Congress) ;  for  its  paltry 
4,500   inhabitants   increased   nearly   eight-fold,   or 
to  33,115.     The  combined  cause  and  consequence 
of  this  expansion,  which  extended  to  the  rural  dis- 
tricts as  well  and  to  every  realm  of  activity,  is  to 
be  found  largely  in  the  vigor  with  which  various 
railway  enterprises  were  pushed.     Several  lines  al- 
ready in  operation  were  carried  foward  into  un- 
occupied territory,   thus  attracting  hosts  of    new 


THE  EIGHTIES  213 

settlers.  The  valley  of  the  Red  river  and  Mani- 
toba were  thus  made  easily  accessible,  and  the  vast 
Dakotas.  But  probably  more  than  any  other  single 
factor,  the  Northern  Pacific  Railway  kindled  en- 
thusiasm and  expectation,  which  after  a  term  of 
suspended  animation  now  began  to  manifest  signs 
of  renewed  and  vigorous  life,  and  before  the  middle 
of  the  decade  had  been  completed  to  the  Pacific.  The 
production  of  wheat  and  flour  and  lumber  con- 
tinued marvelously  to  increase.  Moreover,  by  this 
time  the  fact  had  become  evident,  not  only  that  it 
was  unwise  to  the  perilous  to  depend  so  exclusively 
upon  a  single  cereal,  but  also  that  other  grains 
could  be  profitably  produced,  and  hence  large  areas 
began  to  be  given  to  oats,  corn,  barley  and  flax.  It 
was  during  the  same  years  that  Minnesota  dairies 
began  to  be  held  in  high  honor. 

A  paragraph  will  be  pertinent  here  with  regard 
to  the  State  University.  As  we  have  already  seen, 
this  institution  was  incorporated  early  in  1851,  by 
statute  located  "  at  or  near  the  Falls  of  St.  An- 
thony"; and  before  the  close  of  the  year  opened 
with  one  teacher,  to  continue  some  three  years  with 
an  average  of  sixty  students;  was  then  closed  for 
more  than  four  years,  to  be  opened  for  a  brief  six 
months,  only  to  be  closed  again  for  nine  long  years. 
Almost  at  the  beginning  Congress  had  voted  more 
than  300,000  acres  of  public  lands  as  an  endowment, 
but  the  bulk  of  this  was  lost  in  the  crash  of  1857. 
Meantime  a  site  had  been  purchased  and  the  walls 


214          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

of  a  costly  and  capacious  structure  had  begun  to 
rise,  though  only  to  be  left  to  crumble  when  far 
from  completion;  nor  was  work  resumed  for  more 
than  a  decade.  The  dawn  of  better  days  began  to 
draw  near  when  in  1864  the  regents  appointed  a 
committee,  with  John  S.  Pillsbury  as  chairman,  to 
sell  the  lands  remaining  and  pay  the  debts  which  had 
been  steadily  accumulating.  Thus  far  the  legisla- 
ture had  bestowed  no  financial  assistance,  but  soon 
made  two  appropriations  wherewith  to  complete  the 
building  so  long  left  to  the  moles  and  bats.  And 
finally  in  1867,  about  a  month  after  Northfield  Col- 
lege first  opened  its  doors,  recitations  commenced 
once  more  with  three  instructors  and  a  goodly  num- 
ber of  students,  mainly  resident  in  the  vicinity. 
From  this  time  on  the  growth  was  steady,  five  teach- 
ers and  two  hundred  and  thirty  students  appearing 
in  the  catalogue  of  1869  (twelve  months  before  the 
election  of  President  Strong),  a  year  distinguished 
also  in  the  history  of  the  University  by  the  advent 
of  President  Folwell.  The  proportions  to  which 
the  institution  was  destined  to  attain  were  little  sus- 
pected until  Cyrus  Northrop  had  been  president  for 
several  years,  whose  most  successful  administration 
began  in  September  of  1884. 

Congregationalism. — Though  this  period  was 
marked  by  no  important  changes  in  the  denomina- 
tion at  large,  nevertheless  a  notable  growth  in 
various  directions  is  easily  discernible.  Thus  in  the 
South  a  great  work  was  accomplished,  both  for  the 


THE  EIGHTIES  215 

freedmen  and  the  mountain  whites.  But  more,  in 
the  territories  and  the  newer  states  missionaries 
were  both  numerous  and  active.  In  -particular, 
Montana,  Idaho  and  Utah  were  explored  and  occu- 
pied ;  the  latter  largely  through  the  New  West  Edu- 
cation Commission.  Only  one  other  decade  ever 
saw  so  many  colleges  come  into  existence,  and  to 
the  eleven  organized  in  the  sixties,  eight  were  now 
added:  Yankton,  Gates,  Whitman,  Rollins,  Fargo, 
Redfield,  Pomona,  and  Mt.  Holyoke  which  hitherto 
had  been  of  a  lower  grade.  In  1879  our  churches 
numbered  2,791  with  382,920  members,  which  ten 
years  later  had  become  4,689  and  491,985  respective- 
ly. The  ministers  increased  from  3,585  to  4,640; 
the  beneficences  from  $1,098,961  to  $2,398,037;  and 
the  home  expenses  from  $2,594,229  to  $6,046,932. 
Within  the  bounds  of  Minnesota  the  growth  of 
the  denomination  was  still  more  satisfactory.  Rev. 
L.  H.  Cobb,  who  in  1881  resigned  his  home  mis- 
sionary superintendency  and  took  his  departure  for 
the  East,  soon  after  expressed  in  print'  the  convic- 
tion that  "the  work  of  organization  (that  is,  of 
founding  new  churches)  is  largely  finished."  But 
somehow,  fortunately  this  did  not  at  all  prove  to  be 
the  fact,  for  in  the  four  years  immediately  succeed- 
ing this  prognostication  no  less  than  forty-seven 
Congregational  churches  were  added  to  the  sister- 
hood. The  figures  for  the  beginning  and  the  end 
of  the  decade  are  as  follows:  Ministers,  in  and 
153;  churches,  135  and  174  (including  two  which 


216          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

had  passed  the  loo-mark,  and  one  which  had  gone 
beyond  1,000) ;  members,  6,617  an<3  12,470;  benefi- 
cences, $10,543  and  $289,339;  home  expenses, 
$79,049  and  $229,674.  Here,  certainly,  is  increase 
of  a  marked  and  fundamental  kind  though  it  must 
needs  be  explained  that  a  large  fraction  of  the  sum 
named  as  representing  the  beneficent  giving  of  the 
last  year  came  as  the  fruit  of  a  financial  campaign 
made  in  behalf  of  the  college.  Rev.  M.  W.  Mont- 
gomery, who  entered  into  the  labors  of  Mr.  Cobb, 
rendered  most  effective  service,  especially  among  the 
Scandinavians  of  the  state,  but,  much  lamented,  he 
soon  died  in  the  harness,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  J.  H.  Morley. 

North  field  and  the  Church. — As  for  the  former, 
its  growth  was  steady  and  extended  to  various 
phases  of  public  activity.  St.  Olaf  school,  under 
the  guidance  and  inspiration  of  its  founder,  Rev. 
T.  N.  Mohn,  pushed  bravely  forward,  for  years 
only  an  academy,  but  in  1886  a  freshman  class  was 
formed.  During  the  decade  many  difficulties  and 
discouragements  were  wrestled  with,  resulting, 
some  from  lack  of  means,  but  more  from  certain 
ecclesiastical  differences  and  strifes.  For  a  season 
a  Lutheran  divinity  school  found  shelter  within  its 
walls.  Population  increased  to  such  an  extent  upon 
the  west  side  of  the  Cannon  that  to  accommodate 
the  pupils  in  that  section  a  brick  schoolhouse  with 
four  rooms  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $9,000.  In  1883 
a  flourishing  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 


THE  EIGHTIES  217 

began  its  beneficent  work  in  the  community.  Sep- 
arating from  one  already  existing  in  the  college, 
the  business  men  organized  by  themselves  and  were 
able  to  secure  $6,000  for  the  erection  of  an  excel- 
lent building  suited  to  their  uses,  and  the  first  in 
the  whole  Northwest  to  be  dedicated  free  of  debt. 
Connected  *with  this  enterprise  the  name  of  the 
lamented  Frank  Cutler  (Carleton  '79)  will  always 
stand. 

Mention  must  be  made  of  the  destruction  by  fire 
of  the  "Old  Brown  Church"  in  May  of  1880; 
only  about  four  months  after  Willis  Hall  had  met 
the  same  fate.  This  community  seemed  to  be 
scourged  inconveniently,  and  altogether  overmuch. 
But  the  structure  was  primitive,  uncomely,  too 
small  and  unworthy  longer  to  represent  the  spiritual 
side  of  things,  so  that  on  the  whole  its  destruction 
was  timely  and  productive  of  only  the  best  results. 
Some  months  were  spent  in  pondering  and  plan- 
ning, with  Lockwood's  Hall  utilized  as  a  place  of 
worship,  though  later  when  Willis  Hall  was  rebuilt, 
a  migration  was  made  to  its  chapel.  The  wise  de- 
cision was  made  to  exchange  the  old  church-site  for 
a  larger  and  better  one,  and  contracts  were  let  for 
the  construction  of  a  sanctuary,  with  brick  veneer 
taking  the  place  of  wood.  When  the  frame  was  up 
and  in  part  covered,  a  serious  drawback  was  met 
with  from  the  rude  pranks  of  a  tornado,  which 
leveled  the  spire  with  the  earth  and  wrenched  the 
entire  structure  out  of  shape.  And  finally,  to  add 


218  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

yet  more  to  the  embarrassment  of  those  who  had  in 
charge  the  weighty  task  of  church-building,  the 
pastor,  Rev.  D.  L.  Leonard,  under  an  urgent  call  to 
undertake  important  missionary  work  in  the  Rocky 
mountain  region,  felt  constrained  to  resign  the  pas- 
torate, and  in  June  of  1881  took  his  departure,  thus 
leaving  the  church  without  a  head.  But  in  spite  of 
all,  so  faithful  and  efficient  were  the  building  com- 
mittee and  trustees,  and  so  loyal  were  the  members 
and  friends,  that  no  serious  harm  or  even  hindrance 
resulted,  and  by  December  all  things  were  ready 
for  dedication,  including  cash  in  hand  or  pledges 
sufficient  to  pay  every  dollar  of  cost  amounting  to 
$20,650.  In  particular,  the  Ladies'  Society,  with 
wise  forethought,  beginning  several  years  before 
the  fire,  had  gathered  and  saved  with  such  persist- 
ence and  skill  that  when  the  purchase  of  carpets, 
pulpit  furniture,  chandeliers,  etc.,  was  required,  be- 
hold not  less  than  $1,400  were  on  deposit  designed 
for  such  uses.  One  window  was  bestowed  "  In 
memory  of  C.  M.  Goodsell,  the  Founder  of  Carleton 
College,"  while  another  bears  the  name  of  J.  L. 
Heywood,  with  the  single  word  Fidelitas.  Nearly 
a  twelvemonth  passed  after  the  dedication  before 
the  next  pastor,  Rev.  Edward  M.  Williams,  was  in- 
stalled. He  had  already  held  three  pastorates  in  the 
state,  in  Austin,  Faribault  and  East  Minneapolis; 
had  also  been  a  trustee  of  the  college  since  the 
spring  of  1870,  and  more  than  once  had  contributed 
large  sums  to  further  its  interests.  In  1886  the 


EDWARD    M.   WILLIAMS. 


THE  EIGHTIES  219 

church  fittingly  celebrated  its  thirtieth  anniversary, 
and  soon  after,  as  already  stated,  a  monument  was 
erected  on  the  spot  where  the  first  public  service  was 
held  in  Northfield.  The  ministrations  of  Mr.  Will- 
iams continued  until  the  end  of  July,  1889. 

The  College. — Again  may  it  confidently  be  af- 
firmed, as  with  reference  to  the  decade  preceding, 
that  in  no  particular  did  the  institution  fail  to  keep 
full  pace  in  progress  with  the  state  at  large,  or 
with  its  more  immediate  constituency  and  allies,  the 
churches.  At  every  point  all  along  the  line,  whether 
as  to  material  advancement  like  endowment  and 
real  estate,  increase  of  buildings,  of  equipment  like 
library,  apparatus,  cabinet,  etc.;  the  curriculum; 
faculty,  as  to  both  size  and  intellectual  quality;  or 
the  number  of  students  in  attendance ; — the  forward 
movement  is  marked  and  well  balanced.  A  glance 
at  each  one  of  these  particulars  will  abundantly 
justify  this  emphatic  assertion.  Indeed,  this  period 
of  ten  years  easily  outdid  the  very  best  of  its  prede- 
cessors. Let  us  see. 

These  comfortable  sums  were  realized  either  in 
cash  or  pledges:  By  June  of  the  opening  year,  as 
an  inspiring  prophecy  of  other  good  things  to  fol- 
low, President  Strong  could  report  $14,972  raised 
in  Minnesota  since  the  burning  of  Willis  Hall ;  and 
$36,727  in  the  East,  a  total  of  $51,699.  This  was 
more  than  enough  to  make  good  the  loss;  and  be- 
sides, the  last  state  of  that  building  was  far  better 
than  the  first.  Of  the  sum  last  named  it  is  interest- 


220  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

ing  to  note  that  $20,235  were  derived  from  Boston 
givers,  with  Hartford  adding  $4,575,  Worcester 
$4,500,  Chicago  $5,100,  Northfield  $5,883,  and  the 
state  elsewhere  $8,814.  Here  was  a  splendid  ex- 
ample of  plucking  victory  from  the  jaws  of  defeat, 
or  of  transmuting  loss  into  gain.  But  besides, 
meantime  Mrs.  Valeria  Stone  of  Maiden,  Massa- 
chusetts, had  increased  the  endowment  by  $10,000; 
"  a  Western  lady  "  had  given  $1,000  towards  "  the 
new  Ladies'  Hall " ;  a  like  sum  had  been  donated 
by  Hon.  Robbins  Battell  of  Norfolk,  Connecticut, 
toward  the  purchase  of  a  tower-clock  and  a  chime  of 
bells  which  began  their  harmonious  service  in 
Willis  Hall,  September  13,  1886.  But  all  this  was 
simply  a  beginning.  As  the  outcome  of  another 
comparatively  brief  visit  by  the  president  to  the 
North  Atlantic  seaboard,  $36,195  were  added  to 
the  assets  of  Carleton. 

In  1882  Dr.  E.  H.  Williams*  of  Philadelphia 
became  the  donor  of  $12,000  for  the  construction  of 
Science  Hall,  in  memory  of  his  youngest  son  who 
died  when  a  freshman  in  Williams  College,  and 
whose  name  it  bears. 


*  This  liberal  benefactor  deserves  a  more  extended  bio- 
graphical notice  than  our  limits  permit.  From  an  authentic 
source  we  gather  data  for  this  condensed  statement :  Dr. 
Edward  H.  Williams  was  born  at  Woodstock,  Vt.,  June  I, 
1824.  As  soon  as  he  began  his  studies  he  revealed  a  marked 
aptitude  for  mathematics,  and  his  tastes  were  fostered  by  ex- 
cellent instruction  under  Hosea  Dotan,  of  Woodstock,  and 
his  uncle,  Rev.  Dr.  George  P.  Williams,  residing  in  Pontiac, 
Mich.,  where  the  University  of  Michigan  was  then  estab- 
lished. He  also  studied  the  classics  with  his  father.  For 


THE  EIGHTIES  221 

several  generations  his  ancestors  had  displayed  remark- 
able engineering  talents,  and  in  Dr.  Williams  these  talents 
appeared  in  such  degree  that  from  the  outset  he  determined  to 
follow  the  pursuits  of  an  engineer.  Just  as  he  was  about 
to  complete  his  course,  his  physicians  declared  that  chronic 
asthma  would  prevent  his  following  so  active  a  life  as  that 
demanded  of  an  engineer.  Thereupon  he  began  the  study  of 
medicine  at  the  Medical  College  in  Woodstock,  from  which  he 
graduated  in  1846.  Within  a  few  years,  however,  his  health 
having  improved,  he  was  following  his  natural  bent, — first  in 
Michigan  and  later  in  Wisconsin  and  Illinois, — and 
acquiring  a  wide  reputation  as  an  exceptionally  gifted  en- 
gineer. From  1865  to  1870  he  was  general  superintendent  of 
the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  and  then  he  accepted  an  invita- 
tion to  become  a  member  of  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works, 
with  which  he  remained  connected  until  his'  death.  He  had 
charge  of  the  sales  department,  and  in  the  interests  of  the 
firm  made  many  visits  to  Australia,  India,  China,  Japan  and 
journeyed  throughout  Europe  and  the  American  continent 
from  Mexico  to  Brazil  and  Chili.  The  family  from  which 
Dr.  Williams  sprang  has  been,  throughout  its  whole  history 
in  this  country,  connected  with  education.  Col.  Ephraim 
Williams  left  by  will  his  entire  property  to  the  founding 
of  what  is  now  Williams  College.  Among  the  first  presidents 
of  Yale  College  was  Elisha  Williams,  a  cousin  of  Col.  Eph- 
raim. In  the  next  generation  we  find  Dr.  Samuel  Williams 
one  of  the  incorporators  of  the  Vermont  Medical  College 
and  dean  of  its  faculty.  In  keeping  with  family  traditions, 
Dr.  Williams'  began  his  benefactions  to  the  cause  of  educa- 
tion, by  gifts  to  Carleton  College.  His  most  extensive  gift 
was  the  Science  Building  of  the  University  of  Vermont,  as 
a  memorial  to  his  wife,  the  building  and  its  equipments 
costing  over  a  quarter  of  a  million  of  dollars.  In  memory 
of  his  parents  he  erected  in  1885,  upon  the  site  of  the  family 
homestead,  a  stone  library,  and  after  furnishing  it  with 
books  and  fully  endowing  it,  he  put  it  into  the  hands  of 
trustees  to  be  held  perpetually  as  a  free  library  of  the  town. 
As  a  child  and  young  man,  Dr.  Williams  inherited,  to  an 
excessive  degree,  the  diffidence  of  his  father,  and  it  was  a 
physical  impossibility  for  him,  until  late  in  life,  to  rise 
before  an  audience  and  make  any  statement.  June  15,  1848, 
he  married  Cornelia  Bailey  Pratt,  of  Woodstock,  who  died 
at  Rosemont,  July  27.  1889.  Dr.  Williams  died  at  Santa 
Barbara,  Cal.,  December  21,  1899,  and  was  buried  at  West 
Laurel  Hill,  just  above  Philadelphia,  beside  his  wife  and 
son. 

By    request    a    near    relative    furnishes    this    appreciative 
sketch  of  the  son :    "William  Williams  was  born  at  Lachine, 


222          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

When,  near  the  close  of  this  period,  the  new  ob- 
servatory was  ready  for  use,  this  same  large-hearted 
giver  supplied  the  $15,000  required  for  the  purchase 
of  a  telescope  as  a  memorial  of  his  deceased  wife. 
The  pedestal  of  the  telescope  bears  a  plate  with  this 
inscription : 

IN  MEMORIAM 
Cornelia  Bailey  Williams 

beloved  wife  of 
Edward  H.  Williams 
Woodstock    Vt     1827 
Rosemount    Pa.    1889 

Meantime  a  donation  of  an  equal  amount  had 
been  made  by  J.  B.  Eldridge  of  Hartford.  And,  to 
crown  all,  it  was  during  the  ever-memorable  months 

Canada,  March  9,  1854,  and  died  at  Barnard,  Vt.,  July  10, 
1872.  During  his  short  life  he  exhibited  a  character  sin- 
gularly free  from  weakness  and  so  full  was  it  of  lovable 
traits  that  it  remains  a  precious  legacy  to  those  who  knew 
him  intimately.  If  the  spirit  in  which  he  performed  the  du- 
ties, even  the  most  trivial,  which  devolved  upon  him,  may 
rest  upon  those  who  study  in  the  memorial  erected  by  loving 
hands,  it  will  cause  renewed  thankfulness  that  there  was  the 
ability  to  erect  this  tribute  to  his  memory.  From  childhood 
he  showed  none  of  that  precocity  of  intellect  that  distin- 
guishes certain  ones,  but  he  more  than  made  up  for  this 
deficiency,  if  it  can  be  so  styled,  by  a  spirit  of  patience  and 
close  application  that  made  him  in  the  end  a  master  of 
whatever  he  attempted,  and  by  a  memory  so  retentive  and 
accurate  that  whatever  he  once  mastered  was  at  any  mo- 
ment available  for  reference.  He  never  cared  to  read  a 
story  twice,  not  because  it  was  tiresome,  but  because  he 
could  think  it  over  in  his  mind.  *  *  *  His  mind  was 
more  scientific  than  literary,  and  his  accurate  and  pains- 
taking habits  of  observation,  his  thoughtful  arrangements  of 
tasks  and  his  quiet  tastes  seemed  to  fit  him  for  scientific 
work.  Such  was  the  modest,  unassuming  life  that,  to  our 
short-sighted  eyes,  was  cut  off  while  it  bore  so  many  bios- 
sons  of  a  pure  and  worthy  manhood." 


THE  EIGHTIES  223 

of  1886  that  $200,000  were  raised  in  pledges  for 
endowment.  This  achievement  must  be  dwelt  upon 
somewhat  more  in  detail. 

Now,  indeed,  the  tug  of  war  was  on.  Absolute 
necessity  compelled  the  undertaking,  with  natural, 
healthy  growth  as  the  efficient  cause.  The  unavoid- 
able expenses  steadily  increased,  the  income  was 
therefore  increasingly  inadequate  and  hence  an  in- 
debtedness was  accumulating  which  at  length  be- 
came alarming.  As  early  as  1881  the  conference 
was  informed  of  the  "  need  of  $50,000  for  endow- 
ment." Two  years  later  the  institution  was  running 
behind  at  the  rate  of  $5,500  annually  and  the  in- 
debtedness had  reached  $20,000,  for  which  some  of 
the  trustees  were  personally  responsible.  This  is 
"  because  the  rate  of  interest  is  diminishing,  and 
because  the  greater  the  number  of  students  the 
greater  the  cost  of  instruction."  Therefore  the 
"  raising  of  $100,000  must  be  carried  to  immediate 
success."  Next,  at  a  meeting  of  the  board,  under 
the  incitement  of  "  a  conditional  offer  of  $40,000 
if  $160,000  is  raised  in  the  state,"  a  resolution  was 
passed  to  undertake  to  meet  the  conditions.  Where- 
upon President  Strong  said  that  he  understood  this 
action  to  mean  that  he  was  to  gird  himself  for 
leadership  in  performing  the  herculean  task,  and 
would  accept  the  responsibility  p/ovided  the  can- 
vass could  begin  then  and  there;  and  the  trustees 
would  pledge  one-fourth  of  the  amount.  Accord- 
ingly blank  pledges  were  passed  and  such  was  the 


224  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

earnestness  and  the  spirit  of  self-sacrifice  that 
$43,000  were  subscribed  by  the  members  of  the 
board  present,  Judge  E.  S.  Jones  leading  off  with 
$20,000,  Rev.  E.  M.  Williams  following  with 
$8,000,  W.  H.  Laird  with  $5,000,  etc.  This 
splendid  beginning  gave  promise  of  a  joyful  con- 
clusion both  certain  and  speedy,  but  by  no  means 
was  such  the  outcome.  First,  within  a  few  months 
the  aforesaid  conditional  offer  was  withdrawn  and 
the  churches  were  informed  that  on  account  of  the 
current  hard  times,  a  postponement  of  the  pro- 
posed financial  campaign  had  been  found  necessary, 
but  with  the  hope  also  expressed  that  the  delay 
would  not  be  long.  Nevertheless,  a  twelvemonth 
later  still  the  chilling  statement  went  out  by  author- 
ity that  the  confidently  expected  $40,000  not  being 
forthcoming,  "  therefore  we  are  thrown  back  upon 
ourselves  "  to  raise  the  entire  amount. 

In  the  autumn  of  1885.  President  Strong  reported 
to  the  state  association :  "  As  you  well  know,  in 
April,  1884,  we  entered  upon  a  canvass  for  $200,- 
ooo  which  our  board  felt  must  be  secured,  and  to- 
ward which  they  pledged  nearly  $50,000.  We  were 
stimulated  to  this  great  undertaking  by  a  large  con- 
ditional offer  at  the  East,  which  I  regret  to  report 
has  since  been  withdrawn — not,  however,  because 
of  any  failure  op  our  part.  We  are  thrown  back 
upon  ourselves  and  the  question  is :  Shall  we  aban- 
don the  effort,  losing  all  the  conditional  pledges 
given,  or  shall  we  go  resolutely  forward,  stimulated 


THE  EIGHTIES  225 

rather  than  discouraged  by  the  difficulties  in  the 
way,  determined  to  win  success,  a  success  all  the 
nobler  because  of  the  unexpected  sacrifices  re- 
quired? To  me  the  answer  seems  perfectly  plain. 
We  must  not  take  one  step  backward.  The  work 
is  not  ours  alone,  it  is  the  Lord's.  He  has  set 
upon  our  college  the  seal  of  His  approval.  Success 
will  cost  hard  labor  and  many  sacrifices,  but  the  re- 
sults are  not  doubtful,  and  they  will  abundantly 
repay  all  our  efforts.  Whatsoever  is  worth  the 
having,  costs.  Self-denial  is  a  law  of  Christian  life 
and  labor.  Let  us  count  it  a  privilege  to  make 
sacrifices  for  such  a  grand  object.  Let  us  appreciate 
the  honor  which  God  bestows  in  permitting  us,  here 
in  our  great  state,  to  lay  broad  and  deep  founda- 
tions upon  which  those  who  come  after  us  may 
build  a  structure  more  perfect  than  any  we  may 
realize.  In  the  end  they  and  we  shall  all  rejoice  to- 
gether, and  to  God  shall  be  all  the  praise." 

Twelve  months  later  (October,  1886)  President 
Strong  could  thus  report  to  the  association :  "  The 
academic  year  which  closed  in  June  last,  was  with 
us  a  remarkable  year.  Whether  we  consider  the 
financial  advance  made,  the  educational  work  done, 
the  spirit  of  harmony  which  prevailed  in  every  de- 
partment and  between  students  and  teachers,  or  the 
spiritual  result  reached,  its  record  has  not  been 
equalled  in  our  history.  *  *  *  The  whole  num- 
ber of  students  was  291  and  these  represented  seven 
religious  denominations,  eleven  nationalities  and 


226          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

twelve  states  and  territories.  *  *  *  In  our 
financial  condition  and  prospects  there  is  much 
ground  for  congratulation  and  encouragement, — 
and  also  for  anxiety.  During  the  last  academic 
year,  new  gifts  or  conditional  pledges  were  ob- 
tained, amounting  to  $60,000.  We  have  now 
pledged  on  the  canvass  for  $200,000  about  $130,- 
ooo,  much  of  it  conditioned  on  our  securing  the 
whole  amount  on  or  before  the  I7th  day  of  next 
April.  *  *  *  When  I  consider  how  wonderfully 
God  has  helped  our  college,  not  only  during  the 
past  year,  but  during  every  year  of  its  history; 
when  I  think  of  the  nearly  two  thousand  students 
who  have  been  brought  under  its  quickening  influ- 
ence, *  *  *  it  seems  to  me  that  the  Christians 
of  Minnesota  cannot  ask  for  a  broader  or  more 
blessed  work,  a  grander  object  for  their  benevolence 
or  one  that  will  bring  quicker  or  richer  results  than 
Carleton  College  presents.  It  is  preparing  and 
sending  forth  laborers  into  every  field  of  noble  serv- 
ice. There  is  no  Christian  work  at  home  or  abroad 
to  which  it  does  not  have  a  relation." 

In  spite  of  every  obstacle,  in  due  season,  thanks 
both  to  the  intrepid  leader  and  the  loyal  and  de- 
voted following,  the  deed  was  done,  the  campaign 
extending  from  the  opening  skirmish  to  the  finish- 
ing stroke  through  five  mortal  years,  ended  in  vic- 
tory and  jubilation. 

The  number  of  subscribers  was  about  300,  and 
the  sums  pledged  varied  from  $5  to  $20,000.  From 


THE  EIGHTIES  227 

89  persons  less  than  $100  each  was  received,  and 
from  85  came  $1,000  or  more.  City  and  country, 
East  and  West,  bore  each  a  worthy  part.  Minne- 
sota contributed  $176,517,  of  which  aggregate 
$117,625  was  derived  from  Minneapolis,  $29,230 
from  Northfield,  $15,320  from  St.  Paul,  and 
$14,341  from  other  communities  in  the  state,  while 
neighboring  states  added  $830,  and  the  East 
$19,278.  It  must  be  confessed,  however,  that  the 
success  achieved  was  by  no  means  so  complete  as 
it  at  first  appeared.  The  general  financial  situation 
changed  radically  and  almost  at  once  for  the  worse. 
For,  a  huge  bubble  of  speculation,  centering  in  the 
two  chief  cities  (and  where  unfortunately  resided 
most  of  the  subscribers),  suddenly  burst,  with  hun- 
dreds who  had  deemed  themselves  wealthy  finding 
themselves  in  poverty  and  bankruptcy  instead;  or 
at  best  with  property  upon  their  hands  from  which 
nothing  could  be  realized.  Therefore  no  inconsid- 
erable portion  of  what  had  been  pledged  could  not 
be  paid,  with  perhaps  as  much  more  existing  in  the 
form  of  college  assets  which  could  not  be  turned 
into  cash  and  produced  no  income.  Mortgages  not 
a  few  were  of  necessity  foreclosed,  at  not  a  little 
cost.  The  shrinkage  in  the  large  amount  aimed  at 
and  at  the  time  supposed  to  have  been  secured,  was 
of  such  proportions  that  soon  with  joy  and  thanks- 
giving were  mingled  disappointment  and  apprehen- 
sion. Still,  in  October,  1887,  the  president  could 
say :  "  The  success  of  the  canvass  for  $200,000 


228 

certainly  brought  a  very  substantial  addition  to  our 
resources,  and  our  constituents  have  a  right  to  ex- 
pect an  advance  in  our  educational  work  as  we  have 
planned.  That  success  aroused  much  enthusiasm 
among  our  students,  called  wide  attention  to  the 
prosperous  condition  and  increasing  facilities  of 
the  institution,  and  multiplied  its  friends  both  at 
home  and  abroad.  It  marks  the  beginning  of  a 
new  epoch  in  our  history  and  calls  for  a  grateful 
recognition  of  that  divine  favor  which  from  the 
beginning  has  attended  this  educational  enterprise." 
In  October  of  1888  the  president  said  to  the 
association :  "  Our  difficulties  are  still  on  the 
financial  side.  Growth  necessitates  expenditure. 
It  would  bring  much  relief  if  those  who  have  made 
pledges  would  make  them  interest-bearing,  or  would 
pay  them  at  the  soonest."  It  is  evident  that  the 
closing  year  of  the  decade  was  a  time  of  sore  trial 
for  the  college.  The  question  was  seriously  consid- 
ered of  reducing  the  meagre  salaries  of  the  faculty 
by  10  per  cent.,  while  the  president  was  expected  to 
be  diligent  in  seeking  to  supply  the  sorely  needed 
sinews  of  war,  and  if  possible  to  persuade  the 
churches  to  provide  from  $3,000  to  $5,000  annually 
for  current  expenses.  Also  as  stimulus  to  good 
works,  "  a  friend  proposes  to  give  $2,500  towards 
the  first  $50,000  subscribed  for  increased  endow- 
ment, and  $2,500  also  towards  the  second  $50,000," 
but  this  secured  no  immediate  response  and  an  ad- 
ditional canvass  was  not  attempted. 


THE  EIGHTIES  229 

New  Buildings. — The  eighties  constituted  what 
is  emphatically  Carleton's  building  era.  Beginning 
with  only  Ladies'  Hall  (American  House),  a  struc- 
ture both  uncomely  and  unsuitable,  and  Willis  Hall 
in  ruins,  with  the  first  and  primitive  observatory  in 
addition,  they  closed  with  Willis  Hall  rebuilt  and 
greatly  improved,  the  Seccombe  house  (Music 
Hall)  put  to  college  uses,  Williams  Hall,  Gridley 
Hall  most  attractive  without  and  within,  and  the 
elegant  new  Goodsell  Observatory,  while  Ladies' 
Hall  had  vanished  forever,  its  mission  ended,  hav- 
ing never  been  more  than  an  accident  and  makeshift 
as  related  to  educational  uses,  from  first  to  last  a 
discomfort  and  annoyance  to  all  who  resorted  to  it 
for  shelter  or  instruction,  while  all  along  a  fire-trap 
and  favorite  haunt  for  rats  and  other  pests  of  lesser 
size.  Of  some  of  these  buildings  it  is  fitting  to 
speak  somewhat  in  detail.  When  that  December 
morning  in  1879,  in  the  midst  of  a  furious  gale,  the 
destroying  flames  did  their  work  upon  Willis  Hall, 
a  catastrophe  befell  and  the  friends  of  the  college 
found  themselves  facing  a  grave  emergency.  The 
Christmas  vacation  had  but  just  begun  and  the 
bulk  of  the  students  had  departed  to  their  homes; 
and  what  should  be  done  to  make  their  return  cer- 
tain or  even  possible  ?  What  rooms  could  be  found 
suited  for  the  varied  uses  required?  Within  a  few 
hours  arrangements  were  made  for  the  occupancy 
of  the  Methodist  church,  of  a  room  in  the  High 
School  building  and  another  over  a  store.  That 


230          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

very  day  a  circular  was  sent  out  to  all  interested 
stating  that  the  next  term  would  open  at  the  time 
appointed  and  all  academic  work  would  go  forward 
with  no  interruption.  Even  so  it  came  to  pass  with 
no  falling  off  in  the  attendance.  The  walls  were 
still  standing  and  fortunately  with  such  slight 
damage  received  that  with  $12,000  insurance  money 
and  $2,000  added,  it  was  possible  to  restore  all  that 
had  been  destroyed,  and  not  a  little  in  addition  in 
the  way  of  improved  arrangements.  Strange  but 
true,  it  was  largely  the  fire  that  enabled  President 
Strong  to  gather  from  various  sources  more  than 
$50,000 ;  and  to  the  same  kind  chastening  was  owed 
the  clock  and  the  bells  for  the  tower.  Since  that 
day  of  severe  testing  so  heroically  improved,  this 
reconstructed  building  for  more  than  two-score 
years  has  been  one  of  the  chief  centers  of  college 
life. 

In  1 88 1  a  two-story  brick  building  was  erected 
for  the  use  of  the  department  of  natural  science, 
containing  the  cabinets,  the  chemical  and  biological 
laboratories,  recitation  rooms  for  the  scientific 
classes,  and  for  some  years  also  afforded  shelter  for 
the  library.  Already  agitation  had  begun  and  was 
steadily  becoming  more  earnest,  as  touching  a  new 
home  for  the  women  of  the  institution  and  worthier 
accommodations  for  the  boarding  department.  In 
1880  a  committee  was  appointed  to  take  preliminary 
steps  relating  to  location,  size,  form,  architect,  etc., 
the  year  following  saw  the  foundations  put  in  place, 


THE  EIGHTIES  231 

another  twelvemonth  sufficed  for  rearing  the  walls 
and  putting  on  the  roof,  and  March  14,  1883,  the 
dedication  exercises  were  held  with  great  rejoicing 
over  this,  the  largest  of  the  buildings  on  the  college 
grounds,  which  was  soon  officially  pronounced  "  the 
finest  educational  building  for  women  in  the  North- 
west." From  Eber  Gridley  of  Hartford,  Connecti- 
cut, who  contributed  $37,000  towards  the  cost,  it 
was  named  Gridley  Hall.  The  material  is  white 
brick,  three  stories  rise  above  the  basement,  the 
length  is  two  hundred  feet,  while  north  and  south 
projections  extend  back  one  hundred  feet.  The  din- 
ing-room is  forty  feet  by  fifty.  Beside  teachers, 
matron  and  domestics,  one  hundred  students  find 
here  all  needed  comforts  and  conveniences  of  life. 
The  reception  room  and  parlors  are  tastefully  fur- 
nished and  adorned  with  many  works  of  art,  the 
gifts  of  friends  of  the  college.  Among  them  is  a 
painting  of  the  Madonna  in  the  identical  frame  in 
which  it  hung  for  more  than  fifty  years,  in  one  of 
the  galleries  of  Florence;  and  from  the  same  city 
a  bust  of  Columbus  in  Castelline  marble,  on  a  pedes- 
tal of  serpentine ;  and  busts  in  high  relief  of  Dante, 
Michael  Angelo  and  Savonarola.  The  walls  of  the 
corridors  are  hung  with  photographs  of  some  of 
the  masterpieces  of  classic  art.  The  House  Motto, 
in  appropriate  frame,  hangs  in  the  entrance  hall : 

"The  ornament  of  a  house  is  cleanliness ; 
The  honor  of  a  house  is  hospitality; 
The  blessing  of  a  house  is  piety; 
The  happiness  of  a  house  is  contentedness." 


232  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

By  a  happy  thought,  upon  solicitation,  certain 
churches  in  the  state  and  a  few  individuals  sup- 
plied the  bulk  of  the  furniture  required  for  the 
rooms,  at  a  general  cost  of  $50  for  each  room,  with 
larger  sums  bestowed  to  supply  suitable  surround- 
ings for  the  teachers.  From  a  church  in  Oak  Park, 
Illinois,  came  the  requisites  for  the  guestroom, 
while  the  Northfield  church,  at  an  expense  of  $400, 
put  the  kitchen  in  complete  condition  for  use.  Over 
each  door  is  seen  the  name  of  the  person  or  church 
rendering  this  generous  and  grateful  service. 
Under  this  capacious  roof,  students  and  teachers 
together  constitute  really  a  household,  possessing 
all  the  privileges  and  refining  influences  of  a  truly 
Christian  home.  In  addition  to  the  occupants  of 
the  rooms,  a  large  majority  of  the  men  of  the  col- 
lege board  in  the  dining-hall. 

The  chapter  preceding  told  the  stofy  of  how  it 
came  to  pass  that  an  astronomical  observatory  well 
equipped  for  various  important  public  uses  was 
added  to  Carleton's  buildings,  but  a  continuation  of 
that  narrative  is  here  in  order,  or  rather  the  record 
of  a  still  more  daring  and  venturesome  undertak- 
ing of  a  similar  kind.  This  was  the  curious  begin- 
ning of  radical  expansion.  As  we  saw,  a  number 
of  Western  railways  were  receiving  from  Northfield 
daily  time-signals  at  exactly  noon.  When  this  serv- 
ice had  been  performed  for  years,  it  happened  that 
Professor  Payne  being  in  St.  Paul  one  day,  a  young 
jeweler,  F.  W.  Frohne,  ventured  the  remark : 


WILLIAM  W.   PAYNE. 


THE  EIGHTIES  233 

"  They  are  afraid  of  your  time,  and  say  it  cannot 
be  as  good  as  that  taken  at  Madison  and  Chicago 
where  larger  instruments  are  employed.  Why  do 
you  not  procure  a  new  instrument?  If  you  will, 
I'll  give  you  $5,000";  and  a  liberal  advance  pay- 
ment was  made  to  meet  the  expense  of  a  visit  to  the 
best  instruments  then  in  existence  in  the  country. 
Thus  encouraged,  it  seemed  wise  to  go  forward, 
and  an  order  was  duly  placed  in  Germany,  with 
one-fifth  of  the  cost  demanded  in  advance,  the  task 
of  construction  requiring  two  years,  Just  then, 
however,  Mr.  Frohne  sickened  and  died,  with  the 
bulk  of  his  pledge  unpaid.  In  this  grave  emergency, 
upon  solicitation,  James  J.  Hill,  already  of  wide 
fame  as  a  railroad  magnate,  came  to  the  rescue 
with  a  gift  of  $5,000.  Next,  another  problem  thrust 
itself  forward,  relative  to  the  mounting  of  the  in- 
strument when  it  was  ready.  The  observatory  was 
too  small,  and,  besides,  being  of  wood,  was  not  fire- 
proof. In  order  to  remedy  the  latter  defect  in  some 
measure,  the  scheme  was  considered  of  covering  the 
building  with  an  outside  shell  of  brick.  In  a  sore 
quandary,  the  happy  thought  occurred  to  Professor 
Payne  of  a  visit  for  counsel  to  W.  H.  Laird,  a 
prominent  business  man  of  Winona,  a  warm  friend 
of  the  college  and  a  trustee  whose  judgment  was 
finally  expressed  as  follows :  "  You  don't  propose 
to  put  it  in  that  building!  Go  ahead  with  a  new 
one  and  draw  on  me  for  $1,000," — a  sum  which 
later  swelled  to  $5,000.  The  entire  cost  reached 


234  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

nearly  $65,000,  including  the  building  ($29,000) 
and  all  it  contained.  This  was  indeed  remarkable 
progress  for  an  observatory  to  make  in  the  space  of 
ten  years. 

One  astonishing  feature  relates  to  all  the  large 
instruments  in  each  line  of  work.  The  photographic 
telescope,  the  meridian  circle  and  the  1 6-inch  equa- 
torial telescope,  each  have  a  unique  history,  which 
it  will  be  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  duplicate  any- 
where. The  story  of  the  largest  telescope  will  in- 
dicate what  is  meant,  though  it  will  not  relate  what 
might  be  told  of  each  of  the  others. 

For  years  before  any  observatory  was  built  for 
Carleton,  Professor  Payne  had  his  mind  set  on  pos- 
sessing a  1 6-inch  telescope.  When  he  saw  the  skill- 
ful work  of  Prof.  Charles  S.  Hastings  as  shown  at 
Cincinnati,  he  determined  that  when  the  time 
should  come,  Professor  Hastings  should  make  the 
object  glass.  After  the  new  observatory  was 
finished  and  the  great  dome,  weighing  ten  tons, 
was  in  place,  a  list  of  things  specially  desired  was 
made  out  by  President  Strong,  who,  naming  them 
in  the  order  of  their  importance,  in  his  judgment, 
placed  far  down  in  the  list :  "  A  large  equatorial 
telescope,  to  cost  $15,000."  When  that  most  gen- 
erous friend,  Dr.  E.  H.  Williams,  saw  the  list,  he 
somehow  chose  the  telescope  as  his  part,  and 
promptly  furnished  the  money  for  its  purchase. 
When  the  instrument  was  ready,  the  only  way  to 
place  it  within  the  dome  was  to  take  its  parts, 


THE  EIGHTIES  235 

massive  pier  and  all,  through  a  three-foot  slide  in 
the  dome,  thirty  feet  above  the  ground.  This  dif- 
ficult task  was  accomplished  without  a  single 
mishap.  Surely  those  who  planned  and  built  the 
observatory  had  every  reason  to  believe  that  they 
were  guided  by  the  divine  hand  in  the  important 
work  committed  to  them. 

In  the  large  reception  room  of  the  observatory 
has  been  placed  a  mural  tablet  bearing  this  in- 
scription : 

This  building  is  named 
Goodsell  Observatory  of  Carleton  College, 

in  grateful  memory  of 

Charles  Moorehouse  Goodsell, 

whose  eminent  services  in  the  early  days  of  this 

College,  have  earned  for  him  the  title  of 

FOUNDER. 

Astronomical  Publications. — -When  work  first 
began  the  library  was  small  and  funds  for  books 
and  current  publications  deemed  a  necessity,  were 
very  limited.  To  supply  this  need,  it  was  decided 
after  consultation  with  some  leading  astronomers, 
to  publish  an  astronomical  magazine.  This  was 
begun  in  1882  and  called  "The  Sidereal  Messenger." 
It  was  a  fortunate  time  for  such  an  enterprise,  for1 
there  was  then  nothing  similar  to  it  in  the  United 
States.  This  magazine  was  received  with  such 
favor  as  to  make  it  entirely  self-sustaining.  As 
was  expected,  it  promptly  brought  to  the  library  a 
great  number  of  publications  from  observatories  in 
all  parts  of  the  world,  and  many  new  scientific 


236  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

books.  The  opening  of  all  these  important  channels 
of  knowledge  so  early  was  very  encouraging  in  this 
new  field  of  practical  astronomy. 

In  1883,  when  "  standard  time  "  came  into  use, 
this  observatory  had  a  prominent  part  in  securing 
a  general  change  from  the  old  to  the  new  order. 
Some  influential  railway  officials  were  skeptical  as 
to  its  advantages,  and  Professor  Payne  spent  sev- 
eral weeks  in  explaining  to  them  the  new  system 
before  it  was  adopted.  Hence  it  was  that  when 
the  change  came,  it  was  adopted  by  cities  and  rail- 
ways simultaneously,  and  one  system  has  since  pre- 
vailed throughout  the  Northwest.  It  was  quite  dif- 
ferent in  some  of  the  middle  and  eastern  states, 
where  two  or  three  kinds  of  time  are  still  kept,  to 
the  great  confusion  of  almost  all  kinds  of  business. 
This  service  helped  give  the  college  a  wide  reputa- 
tion. During  these  same  years  the  observatory  was 
headquarters  for  a  weather  and  signal-service,  with 
some  sixty  flag  and  instrument  stations  in  and  about 
Minnesota,  to  which  daily  weather  predictions  were 
sent. 

After  the  "Sidereal  Messenger"  had  completed  ten 
volumes,  Professor  George  E.  Hale,  then  director 
of  the  Kenwood  Observatory,  Chicago  (now  di- 
rector of  Yerkes  Observatory,  Williams  Bay, 
Wis.),  was  associated  with  Professor  Payne  for 
three  years  in  the  publication  of  the  large  magazine, 
"  Astronomy  and  Astro-Physics,"  which  was  really 
a  continuation  of  the  former,  under  a  new  name. 


ANNA    T.    LINCOLN. 

0 RIDLEY  HALL.— West  Front. 

EMMA  L.  LINCOLN.  CAROLINE   E.  LINNELL. 


THE  EIGHTIES  23? 

In  this  form  the  magazine  became  international,  in 
fact  and  in  scope.  When  the  Yerkes  observatory 
was  completed,  Professor  Hale,  wishing  to  control 
the  publication  alone,  purchased  it  and  changed  its 
name  to  "  Astro-Physical  Journal,"  under  which 
name  it  still  continues. 

In  1893  "  Popular  Astronomy  "  was  projected  to 
meet  the  wants  of  a  large  class  of  students  of  as- 
tronomy, amateur  and  professional,  and  such  other 
readers  as  might  be  interested.  This  magazine  has 
a  larger  paid  circulation  than  any  of  its  predeces- 
sors, and  it  has  been  very  useful  in  the  broader  field 
of  science  it  aims  to  cover.  During  a  part  or  all  of 
the  last  eleven  years  there  have  been  associated  with 
Professor  Payne  in  the  publication  of  Popular  As- 
tronomy Miss  Charlotte  R.  Willard  (now  of  Mar- 
sovan,  Turkey)  and  Dr.  H.  C.  Wilson,  each  one 
sharing  largely  in  the  responsibility  of  its  manage- 
ment. In  addition,  Dr.  Wilson  has  prepared  three 
quarto  volumes  of  original  astronomical  work, 
which  have  been  published  by  the  observatory, 
through  funds  given  especially  for  this  purpose. 

But  not  only  was  increase  and  enlargement  the 
order  of  the  day  in  respect  to  endowment  and  build- 
ings, but  marked  development  came  to  the  curri- 
culum as  well,  the  courses  of  study  and  the  require- 
ments for  admission.  At  the  first  and  all  along  the 
ideals,  the  intellectual  standards  had  been  high. 
There  had  been  no  catering  to  sentiments  which 
prized  the  showy  and  shallow  above  the  solid; 


238          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

neither  had  there  been  any  hyper-intellectualism, 
any  extreme  ideas  as  to  how  exalted  academic  tastes 
and  demands  should  be  kept.  On  the  contrary,  the 
practical  needs  of  the  times,  the  general  conditions 
in  society  at  large,  were  held  in  mind  with  reason- 
able adaptation  made  thereto,  while  always  leading, 
inspiring  and  crowding  towards  what  was  better. 
As  teachers  multiplied,  departments  were  divided 
and  new  ones  were  established.  In  1884  the  re- 
quirements for  admission  to  the  preparatory  courses 
were  so  raised  that,  whereas  arithmetic  and  English 
grammar  had  hitherto  been  taught,  examinations  in 
these  branches  were  required  from  henceforth.  The 
results  of  evolution  appear  at  first  en  masse  in  the 
catalogue  of  1884-5  J  where  this  imposing  list  of 
departments  meets  the  eye:  i,  Philosophy;  2,  His- 
tory and  Political  Economy;  3,  Greek;  4,  Latin; 
5,  English;  6,  Modern  Languages;  7,  Chemistry, 
Physics  and  Mineralogy;  8,  Biology  and  Geology; 
9,  Mathematics  and  Astronomy;  10,  Music.  An 
amazing  unfolding  this  since  the  feeble  days  of 
beginnings ! 

To  the  teaching  force  at  least  five  important  ad- 
ditions were  made,  reckoning  only  those  whose  con- 
nection with  the  institution  continued  through  quite 
a  protracted  period.  Rev.  Arthur  H.  Pearson  came 
in  1880  to  be  professor  of  chemistry,  physics  and 
mineralogy;  Lucian  W.  Chancy  two  years  later  to 
be  at  first  assistant  teacher  of  science,  and  later  pro- 
fessor of  biology  and  geology ;  Louisa  H.  Richard- 


THE  EIGHTIES  239 

son,  professor  of  the  Latin  language  and  literature 
in  1885;  Herbert  C.  Wilson,  to  become  associate 
professor  of  astronomy  and  mathematics  in  1887; 
Isabella  Watson,  the  same  year,  to  become  pro- 
fessor of  French  and  German;  and  the  year  fol- 
lowing Rev.  Daniel  Magnus  to  become  professor  of 
Swedish  and  teacher  of  German  and  English.  This 
last  appointment  was  made  to  meet  the  wants  of  the 
very  large  Scandinavian  element  in  the  state.  But 
these  additions  were  offset  by  several  resignations, 
like  that  of  J.  B.  Clark,  L.  B.  Sperry,  Alice  L. 
Armsby,  and  from  the  headship  of  the  department 
of  music  Dwight  C.  Rice.  Others  also  came  and 
went  whose  work  while  they  remained  was  worthily 
performed.  The  catalogue  of  1889-90  gave  the 
names  of  twenty  members  of  the  faculty  as  against 
twelve  which  appeared  ten  years  before. 

Additional  instructors  must  needs  be  employed 
because  the  student  body  was  increasing  year  by 
year.  The  institution  had  won  a  large  place  in  the 
confidence  and  esteem  of  its  constituency;  and  be- 
sides, the  population  tributary  had  quadrupled  since 
the  opening  day,  while  the  average  of  financial  abil- 
ity was  much  higher,  so  that  higher  education  was 
not  only  much  more  desired  but  also  was  within 
far  easier  reach.  The  rule  which  prevented  the 
entrance  of  all  under  fifteen  years  of  age,  the  higher 
requirements  for  admission  as  well  as  the  hard 
times  prevailing  through  much  of  the  decade, 
cooperated  to  keep  the  numbers  down. '  In  1880  the 


240          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

total  attendance  reached  260,  of  whom  52  were  in 
the  college  classes,  78  were  in  the  preparatory  de- 
partment and  1 02  in  the  English  course.  The  next 
year  an  advance  of  44  is  noted,  an  attendance  of 
305,  coming  from  13  states  and  representing  10 
nationalities,  and  15  had  graduated  in  the  last  class, 
nearly  doubling  the  number  of  the  alumni.  The 
maximum  for  college  and  academy  combined  was 
reached  in  1884  when  306  were  catalogued,  with  a 
falling  off  to  220  two  years  later  for  reasons  just 
suggested.  It  is  more  than  likely  that  another  cause 
for  the  decline  is  to  be  found  in  the  phenomenal 
development  of  the  University  which  had  now 
begun. 

A  few  miscellaneous  items  remain  to  be  added. 
The  old  Ladies'  Hall,  now  that  Gridley  Hall  was 
finished,  having  played  its  part  during  two  decades 
of  occupancy  was  no  longer  needed,  and  was  soon 
sold  and  torn  down.  It  was  during  these  days  that 
Rev.  Dr.  M.  McG.  Dana's  "  History  of  the  Origin 
and  Growth  of  Carleton  College,"  a  pamphlet  of 
about  forty  pages,  appeared,  and  this,  revised  and 
reprinted  and  distributed  in  large  numbers,  has  been 
of  great  value  to  the  institution.  The  "Carletonia," 
in  later  times  appearing  monthly,  first  saw  the  light 
in  June,  1877,  as  the  "Carletonian,"  and  but  one 
number  was  issued  each  year  until  June,  1881.  The 
second  number  of  Volume  I  was  dated  October, 
1 88 1.  The  number  of  issues  climbed  from  five  the 
first  year,  through  seven  the  next,  to  nine  the  third. 


THE  EIGHTIES  241 

In  1885  Harlan  W.  Page,  until  then  and  for  several 
years  a  banker  in  Austin,  became  a  citizen  of  North- 
field  and  financial  secretary  of  the  college.  Monte- 
video Academy,  originally  Western  Minnesota 
Seminary,  now  known  as  Windom  Institute,  was 
founded  in  1885.  During  this  decade  Carleton  lost 
two  of  its  earliest  and  firmest  friends.  Rev.  David 
Burt  died  in  1881,  having  been  for  several  years  a 
resident  of  Northfield.  Coming  to  the  state  in  the 
'503  from  New  England,  he  was  acting  pastor  at 
Winona  when  the  time  to  found  a  college  had  ar- 
rived ;  later  filled  the  office  of  school  superintendent 
for  Winona  county  for  five  years,  and  then  became 
state  superintendent  of  instruction,  a  position  which 
he  held  until  his  decease.  Rev.  Charles  Shedd  was 
also  of  New  England  birth  and  education  and  came 
early  to  Minnesota  to  hold  pastorates  at  Zumbrota, 
Wasioja  and  Claremont.  Living  to  an  advanced 
age,  with  only  a  most  meagre  income,  he  sought  to 
eke  out  a  living  by  weaving  rag  carpets,  even  when 
so  feeble  as  to  make  it  necessary  to  fasten  him  to 
the  loom  to  prevent  his  falling  to  the  floor.  What- 
ever he  earned  in  this  way  was  esteemed  the  Lord's 
money  and  was  devoted  to  benevolence.  His  wife 
was  of  the  same  consecrated  spirit  and  accustomed 
to  self-denial.  Soon  after  entering  upon  his  work 
at  Northfield,  President  Strong  received  one  day  a 
letter  with  only  initials  for  a  signature,  inclosing 
twenty-five  dollars  and  containing  only  these  words : 
"This  is  hard-earned  money,  but  gladly  given  for 


242  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

the  Master's  sake  for  the  building  of  a  Christian 
college  in  Minnesota."  In  a  singular  way,  years 
afterward,  it  was  accidentally  discovered  that  this 
gift  was  from  Mrs.  Shedd.* 


*Mrs.  Shedd,  nee  Eliza  Rowell,  the  eldest  of  eleven  chil- 
dren, was  born  in  Cornish,  N.  H.,  February  27,  1804.  She 
was  married  August  15,  1828,  and  for  many  years  was  asso- 
ciated with  her  husband  in  educational  work  at  Meriden 
and  New  Ipswich,  N.  H.  While  preceptress  of  the  academy 
at  New  Ipswich  she  taught  French,  Latin  and  Mathematics 
and,  unaided,  did  all  of  her  own  housework.  With  her  hus- 
band she  was'  also  interested  in  natural  science  studies,  and 
she  once  sent  to  Carleton  college  a  collection  of  geological 
specimens  and  Indian  arrow-heads  gathered  by  herself  in 
Mississippi.  These  pioneers  came  to  Minnesota  by  boat 
via  Galena,  111.,  and  St.  Paul  long  before  there  was  any 
railway  connection  with  the  east,  and  at  Zumbrota  began 
their  long  and  faithful  missionary  service.  Reared  among 
the  granite  mountains1  of  New  Hampshire  and  trained  in 
the  rigid  theology  of  Jonathan  Edwards,  strong  in  body  and 
mind,  indomitable  in  will  and  invincible  in  her  faith,  Mrs. 
Shedd  seemed  to  possess  something  of  the  strength,  the  clear 
vision  and  far  horizons  of  the  everlasting  hills.  The  blind- 
ness of  her  last  years  never  caused  a  word  of  murmuring 
nor  clouded  her  optimistic  spirit.  Most  lovingly  cared  for 
in  the  home  of  her  grandchildren,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  W. 
Morse,  of  Minneapolis,  where  the  memory  of  her  clear  mind, 
her  unselfish  spirit,  her  beautiful  Christian  character  is  a 
precious  heritage,  she  lived  to  enter  upon  her  Q7th  year  and 
fell  asleep  September  29,  1900. 


THE  NINETIES  243 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  NINETIES. 

Becoming  of  Age. 

Material  Development. — When  the  last  decade  of 
the  nineteenth  century  opened  Minnesota  was  no 
longer  the  remote  frontier,  but  instead  had  become 
a  portion  of  the  populous  interior.  Far,  far  beyond 
stretched  now  the  Dakotas,  Wyoming,  Montana, 
Idaho,  Oregon  and  Washington;  yes,  and  to  the 
northwest  the  vast  spaces  of  Manitoba.  During  the 
ten  years  now  under  view  the  population  of  the 
state  increased  from  1,301,826  to  1,751,094,  a  gain 
of  well  night  a  half  million,  while  in  1880  it  had 
stood  at  780,773.  Besides  the  extension  of  several 
of  the  railroads  already  in  existence,  the  Great 
Northern  was  constructed,  which  kept  much  to  the 
north  of  all  the  other  lines  and  joined  Chicago  with 
Puget  Sound,  two  points  1,830  miles  apart.  A 
new  region  was  thus  opened  up  for  settlement.  It 
was  now  that  the  phenomenal  traffic  of  the  Upper 
Lakes  had  its  beginning,  notably  upon  Lake  Su- 
perior (largely  through  the  increased  export  of 
Minnesota  lumber,  wheat,  flour  and  iron  ore), 
which  soon  reached  such  colossal  proportions  that 
the  tonnage  through  the  "  Soo "  altogether  dis- 
tanced that  of  any  other  strait  upon  the  globe; 


244          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

even  the  famous  Suez  canal  by  comparison  falling 
into  total  eclipse.  It  was  mainly  because  of  this 
immense  and  amazing  water  transportation  that 
Duluth  began  to  leap  forward  to  something  more 
than  bigness  of  anticipation,  into  solid  and  marked 
development,  into  fame  well  deserved.  Beginning 
the  decade  with  33,115  inhabitants,  it  was  closed 
with  52,969.  Or  if  Superior  City  be  added,  as 
with  much  propriety  it  may  be,  since  though  just 
over  the  line  in  Wisconsin,  it  is  but  a  few  miles 
off  and  the  cities  are  practically  one  (therefore  a 
second  case  of  Twin  Cities),  we  find  here  gath- 
ered a  population  of  84,060.  St.  Paul  had  ad- 
vanced from  133,156  to  163,065,  and  Minneapolis 
from  164,738  to  202,718,  a  growth  for  the  two 
combined  from  297,894  to  365,783.  By  1890  Min- 
nesota had  risen  to  the  first  place  among  the  states 
for  lumber  production,  had  become  first  also  as 
a  wheat  producer,  while  Minneapolis  was  the  ban- 
ner city  of  the  world  both  for  the  quantity  and 
quality  of  the  flour  manufactured  in  her  mills. 
These  figures  from  the  census  of  1900  approach 
the  fabulous  and  incredible;  a  wheat  harvest  of 
more  than  95,000,000  bushels,  of  oats  74,000,000, 
and  of  corn  (think  of  it!  in  this  hyperborean 
region,  as  only  a  generation  ago  it  was  universally 
deemed  to  be)  47,000,000  bushels.  Besides,  for 
dairy  products  the  state  had  attained  to  eminence, 
since  from  its  creameries  82,007,933  pounds  of 
prime  butter  went  forth  in  a  single  year,  and  3,076,- 


00 
O 
O 
O 


THE  NINETIES  245 

8 12  pounds  of  cheese.  Furthermore,  as  early  as 
the  beginning  of  this  decade  9,000,000  tons  of 
choice  iron  ore  were  shipped  from  the  mines  of 
the  Duluth  region ;  three  years  later  Minnesota  had 
become  third  among  the  states  of  the  union  in 
this  important  particular,  and  six  years  later  still, 
had  distanced  every  other. 

Northfield  and  the  Church. — A  second  railroad 
made  its  advent,  thus  opening  new  communications 
north  and  south  with  convenient  multiplication  of 
trains.  Two  additional  bridges  were  constructed 
across  the  Cannon,  whereby  the  two  halves  of  the 
community  were  bound  more  closely  together. 
Waterworks  were  established,  by  which  was  secured 
an  excellent  and  abundant  supply,  pumped  from 
an  artesian  well  sunk  deep  in  the  river  valley  to. 
"  Manitou  Hights ;"  and  flowing  thence  in  pipes 
wherever  desired.  Electricity  for  lighting  was  in- 
troduced. A  third  schoolhouse  was  added  to  ac- 
commodate the  southern  portion  of  the  city.  Front 
and  division  fences  (relics  of  an  evil  age  when 
every  man  must  needs  protect  himself  against  tres- 
pass from  his  neighbors),  disappeared  well  nigh 
to  the  last  one.  But  by  far  the  best  of  all  changes, 
a  steadily  increasing  inflow  went  on  of  choice  fami- 
lies, both  from  the  farms  in  the  vicinity  and  from 
other  localities  near  and  remote,  attracted  by  the 
manifold  privileges  afforded  by  a  college  town. 

To  St.  Olaf  college  this  was  a  period  of  sore 
trial.     At  first  largely  independent  and   self-sup- 


246          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

porting,  later  it  appeared  to  be  better  in  many 
ways  to  establish  some  close  connection  with  the 
Norwegian  Lutheran  churches.  Unfortunately, 
however,  these  were  widely  and  seriously  divided 
among  themselves  over  questions  theological  and 
ecclesiastical,  and  this  school  was  more  closely  iden- 
tified with  the  "  Anti-Missourian  "  section.  In  the 
strife,  for  a  number  of  years  its  very  existence  was 
in  jeopardy,  with  more  than  a  possibility  that  all 
the  toil  and  devotion  and  sacrifice  of  its  founder 
and  first  president,  Rev.  T.  N.  Mohn,  would  come 
utterly  to  nought.  But  finally  some  of  the  seg- 
ments concluded  to  cease  from  their  unfraternal 
contention  and  to  join  hearts  and  hands  in  a  new 
organization  known  as  the  "  United  Norwegian 
Lutheran  Church  of  America;"  and  this  body  was 
persuaded  to  adopt  the  struggling  institution.  It 
was  not  until  June  of  1899  that  the  complete  con- 
summation was  effected.  Early  in  November  fol- 
lowing, the  quarter-centennial  anniversary  of  the 
founding  of  the  school  was  fittingly  celebrated,  and 
then  by  a  strange  providence,  before  the  close  of  the 
month  the  lamented  death  of  President  Mohn  oc- 
curred, whose  health  had  long  been  failing. 
Though  he  was  not  permitted  to  enjoy  the  full 
realization  of  all  his  high  hopes  and  noble  ambi- 
tions, he  did  live  long  enough  to  behold  the  abun- 
dant evidence  that  the  future  of  his  darling  project 
was  assured  and  that  abundant  prosperity  was  in 
store. 


THE  NINETIES  247 

The  Northfield  church  secured  a  pastor  in  place 
of  Rev.  E.  M.  Williams,  in  March  of  the  opening 
year  of  the  decade,  in  the  person  of  Rev.  James 
E.  McConnell,  who  is  still  in  this  important  posi- 
tion, holding  thus  the  pulpit  more  than  twice  as 
long  as  any  of  his  predecessors.  Growth  in  num- 
bers was  steady,  the  membership  increasing  from 
397  to  5OI>  while  the  beneficences  swelled  from 
$2,384  to  $4,505,  though  the  home  expenses 
changed  only  from  $3,546  to  $4,726.  When  the 
decade  closed  this  was  the  fourth  church  for  size 
in  the  state,  all  three  of  the  larger  organizations 
being  in  Minneapolis;  Plymouth  with  861  mem- 
bers, Park  Avenue  with  580  and  First  (St. 
Anthony  of  ancient  days),  with  544.  A  large 
fraction  of  this  growth  is  no  doubt  to  be  attributed 
to  Northfield's  good  fortune  in  being  the  seat  of 
a  flourishing  Christian  college,  which  acts  con- 
tinually and  mightily  to  draw  Christian  and  Con- 
gregational families  into  its  near  neighborhood. 

Congregational  Growth. — Of  the  denomina- 
tional life  and  progress  in  the  land  at  large  not 
much  need  here  be  said.  The  various  activities 
connected  witfi  corporate  or  associated  religious 
life  by  this  time  had  all  been  fashioned,  and  were 
carried  forward  without  many  novel  or  noticeable 
incidents.  The  churches  multiplied  from  4,689  to 
5,604,  the  ministers  from  4,640  to  5,614,  the  mem- 
bership advanced  from  597,251  to  629,874,  the 
beneficences  went  backward  from  $2,398,037  to 


248  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

$2,110,413  while  home  expenses  went  forward  from 
$6,046,962  to  $7,023,824. 

Coming  now  to  a  glance  at  Congregational  de- 
velopment in  the  state,  the  174  churches  of  1890 
had  become  231  ten  years  later;  the  12,479  mem- 
bers had  become  18,280,  the  average  of  members 
to  each  had  risen  from  71  to  77;  instead  of  153 
ministers  there  were  182.  If  we  compare  the  total 
beneficences  of  this  decade  with  that  of  the  dec- 
ade preceding,  we  have  but  $533,267  as  against 
$785,066  (it  must  be  remembered  that  the  larger 
sum  includes  generous  special  gifts  for  Carleton), 
and  instead  of  $1,890,834  for  home  expenses,  we 
have  $1,433,960.  An  important  incident  is  found 
in  the  preparation  and  publication  of  a  pamphlet, 
by  authority  of  the  state  association,  entitled 
"Congregationalism  in  Minnesota,  1851-1891;" 
and  so  celebrating  the  fortieth  aniversary  of  the 
founding  of  the  first  church  in  St.  Anthony.  Rev. 
Archibald  Hadden,  then  a  Minneapolis  pastor,  was 
the  author  who  dedicated  these  stirring  and  sug- 
gestive pages  to  "  Richard  Hall,  Charles  Seccombe, 
Edward  Brown,  Charles  Shedd,  David  Burt,  and 
the  other  pioneers  into  whose  labors  we  have  en- 
tered and  on  whose  foundation  we  are  building." 
Among  other  things  he  reminds  his  readers  that 
"  from  the  first  church  in  St.  Anthony  have  grown 
seventeen  churches  in  Minneapolis  and  eight  in  St. 
Paul,  a  total  of  twenty-five." 

Carleton' s     Progress. — As     already     intimated, 


THE  NINETIES  249 

throughout  the  entire  decade,  in  spite  of  the  seem- 
ingly splendid  achievement  of  adding  $200,000  to 
the  endowment,  the  college  was  seriously  embar- 
rassed— was  really  in  sore  financial  distress.  For 
not  only  were  funds  entirely  lacking  for  such  im- 
provements and  enlargements  as  were  imperatively 
demanded  by  the  marked  increase  of  students,  but 
even  more  alarming,  it  was  imposible  even  to  meet 
necessary  current  expenses.  A  timely  bequest  of 
$10,000  from  J.  H.  Stickney  of  Baltimore,  only 
sufficed  to  shed  a  ray  of  cheering  light.  In  1896, 
before  the  state  association,  Professor  Goodhue 
portrayed  and  explained  the  trying  situation  by  set- 
ting forth  these  facts  among  others :  "  The  educa- 
tional work  of  the  institution  is  in  all  respects  at 
high-water  mark,  but  financially  it  has  not  been  in 
as  great  straits  since  the  early  days.  The  trustees 
recently  held  a  special  meeting  to  hear  the  report 
of  its  finance  committee,  and  after  careful  consid- 
eration charged  off  $55,000  of  assets  as  not  repre- 
senting actual  present  value.  This  reduction  repre- 
sents some  unpaid  pledges  which  are  outlawed,  but 
more  which  are  unpaid  owing  to  the  financial  mis- 
fortune of  their  makers.  It  is  also  due  to  a  reval- 
uation of  some  real  estate  which  was  donated  in 
better  times.  For  its  income  the  college  is  wholly 
'dependent  upon  its  endowment,  its  tuition  and  the 
donations  of  its  friends.  Owing  to  the  long-con- 
tinued hard  times,  much  interest  has  been  unpaid 
and  many  mortgages  have  been  foreclosed  at  con- 


250          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

siderable  expense.  These  not  only  yield  no  in- 
come, but  require  large  outlays  for  taxes  and  care. 
In  this  way  the  interest  received  last  year  ex- 
ceeded the  amount  paid  for  annuities,  scholarships, 
prizes,  borrowed  money  and  taxes,  by  only  $4,209. 
Under  these  circumstances,  the  trustees  and  faculty 
each  propose  to  contribute  $3,000  towards  the  ex- 
penses of  the  current  year;  and  the  college  appeals 
to  the  churches  and  its  alumni  for  the  remaining 
$15,000  which  will  be  required  to  meet  its  press- 
ing needs."  From  time  to  time  various  attempts 
were  made  to  cut  down  the  expenses  to  a  minimum. 
Thus  there  was  talk  of  reducing  the  salaries  of  the 
instructors;  President  Strong  offered  to  diminish 
his  stipend  by  $500,  and  it  was  in  order  to  prevent 
this  ruinous  method  of  economizing  that  Judge 
Jones  made  a  special  donation  of  $5,000,  which 
also  happened  to  be  the  last  of  his  liberal  benefac- 
tions. For  several  years  in  succession,  however, 
the  officers,  teachers  and  other  employees  made 
large  contributions  to  the  treasury,  for  which  self- 
denying  acts  the  board  thanked  them  on  one  occa- 
sion, and  then  asked  them  to  please  do  it  again! 
To  assist  in  the  same  direction,  in  1899  tne  charge 
for  tuition  was  raised  from  $26.00  to  $34.00. 

Nevertheless,  in  a  broader  view  of  the  general 
situation,  a  brighter  side  was  visible,  to  which  also 
occasionally  the  attention  of  the  friends  of  Carleton 
was  called.  Thus  at  the  quarter  centennial  anni- 
versary of  the  opening  of  the  school,  H.  W. 


HAKLAN  W.  PAGE. 


THE  NINETIES  251 

Page,  the  recording  and  financial  secretary,  made 
this  statement :  "  The  total  running  expenses  dur- 
ing the  first  twenty-five  years  of  the  legal  existence 
of  the  institution,  1867-1892,  have  been  about 
$450,000.  Of  this  the  students  have  paid  about 
$145,000,  or  a  small  fraction  less  than  one-third. 
Of  the  other  $300,000,  about  $220,000  was 
derived  from  interest  and  other  small  productive 
sources;  about  $50,000  from  donations  made  from 
time  to  time,  and  about  $30,000  remains  as  a  debt. 
We  may  say  that  here  is  a  corporation  of  stock- 
holders who  have  a  paid-in  capital  of  $675,000, 
and  whose  aim  is  the  manufacture  of  Christian 
character.  They  have  put  about  $240,000  into  a 
working  plant,  have  expended  $80,000  more  in 
keeping  this  plant  in  order,  and  are  now  looking 
for  dividends  and  for  more  capital  to  enlarge  the 
plant.  For  dividends  they  desire  to  see  symmetri- 
cal characters,  lives  beautiful,  useful  and  influen- 
tial. To  increase  its  capital  the  assistance  of  many 
is  yet  needed,  and  will  be  needed  for  long  years  to 
come/'  Certainly,  with  such  noble  objects  in  mind, 
it  was  well  worth  while  to  endure  hardness  in 
times  of  peculiar  trial.  And  with  such  noble 
achievements  already  made,  there  was  good  ground 
for  hope  that  to  the  financial  stringency  relief  would 
presently  come  and  the  dawn  of  more  prosperous 
days. 

It  is  pleasant  to  be  able  to  record  that,  through- 
out all  this  protracted  period  of  such  severe  test- 


252  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

ing,  those  most  intimately  connected  with  Carle- 
ton  did  not  abate  a  jot  of  heart  or  hope;  but  still 
bore  up  and  steered  right  onward.  Not  only  did 
they  not  turn  back  or  even  sit  still,  but  on  the 
contrary  really  aggressive  work  was  both  planned 
and  pushed  to  completion.  It  occurred  now,  as 
more  than  once  it  already  had,  that  no  inconsider- 
able chances  were  taken  and  risks  were  run  "  by 
faith,"  with  the  rational  assurance  that  some- 
how success  would  be  achieved,  if  the  best  possible 
were  done  with  the  utmost  of  wisdom  and  energy. 
And  the  event  in  due  season  abundantly  justified 
the  venture.  First,  a  forward  movement  is  visible 
in  the  exigent  matter  of  providing  additional  build- 
ings, in  order  that  more  and  better  teaching  work 
might  be  performed.  The  new  observatory  was 
already  finished  and  concerning  it  the  public  was 
informed :  "  It  is  of  red  brick  with  stone  trim- 
mings, and  in  respect  to  arrangement,  quality  of 
instruments  and  facilities  for  work,  is  unequalled 
by  any  other  observatory  in  the  Northwest,  and  by 
few  in  the  country."  But  its  chief  instrument  was 
not  at  hand  and  ready  to  sweep  the  heavens  until 
the  summer  of  1891.  And  then  it  was  announced: 
"  The  new  equatorial  telescope,  the  generous  gift 
of  Dr.  Williams  of  Philadelphia,  is  completed  and 
during  the  present  month,  May,  will  be  placed  in 
the  large  dome.  Its  clear  aperture  is  sixteen  and 
two-tenths  inches,  with  a  focal  length  of  twenty- 
two  feet.  The  large  universal  spectroscope  is 


THE  NINETIES  253 

equally  well  adapted  to  solar,  stellar  and  labora- 
tory uses.  In  connection  with  the  large  equatorial 
and  the  photographic  apparatus  accompanying  it, 
the  photography  of  the  spectrum  of  various  celes- 
tial objects  will  open  a  large  field  of  useful  and 
original  study."  Mention  is  also  made  of  these  in- 
struments in  addition :  "  An  equatorial  telescope 
with  focal  length  ten  and  one-half  feet,  aperture 
four  and  three-tenths  inches;  a  portable  equatorial 
telescope,  a  siderial  clock,  a  mean-time  clock,  a 
siderial  chronometer,  a  transit  instrument,  a  chrono- 
graph, two  spectroscopes,  meteorological  apparatus 
and  a  complete  set  of  large  astronomical  maps." 
Besides,  "  various  other  instruments  needed  will 
soon  be  added  to  the  equipment."  It  was  far  within 
the  limits  of  the  truth  to  claim  that  "  with  these 
and  other  recent  changes  in  the  equipment  of  in- 
struments for  the  observatory,  the  facilities  for  work 
and  study  in  practical  astronomy  are  excellent." 
Concerning  time-signals  it  is  stated :  "  The  time  of 
the  observatory  is  the  standard  for  this  state  and 
parts  of  those  adjoining,  and  is  given  to  the  rail- 
road companies  at  10  o'clock  a.  m.  and  9  o'clock 
p.  m.  daily  by  telegraph.  These  signals  extend  over 
a  wide  area,  traversed  by  over  10,000  miles  of 
wire,  simultaneously  operating  hundreds  of  sound- 
ers in  telegraph  offices  and  the  stores  of  jewelers." 
Through  all  the  years  thus  far,  the  library  had 
been  steadily  growing,  both  from  gifts  and  pur- 
chases, until  10,500  volumes  were  to  be  found 


254 

upon  the  shelves;  but  with  no  room  hitherto  pro- 
vided in  the  least  suitable,  either  for  safety,  or  for 
convenience  of  reference.  For  a  time  the  science 
building  was  the  place  of  deposit,  and  then,  when 
the  old  'observatory  was  exchanged  for  the  new, 
the  books  were  transported  thither  and  thus  made 
accessible,  after  a  fashion,  until  something  more 
seemly  and  commodious  should  be  forthcoming.  It 
was  not  until  1895  that  hope  deferred  began  so 
to  change  to  glad  fruition,  that  the  announcement 
could  be  made  that  "  plans  have  been  adopted  and 
a  site  has  been  selected  for  a  new  library  building, 
which  it  is  hoped  will  be  erected  in  the  not  dis- 
tant future."  Progress  was  tediously  slow,  but  a 
year  later  notice  was  given  that  "  a  new  library 
building  is  to  be  erected  during  the  coming  year 
as  a  memorial  of  the  late  James  W.  Scoville  of 
Chicago,  by  Mrs.  Scoville  and  their  son,  C.  B. 
Scoville."  Two  years  later  still  it  was  in  full 
use,  "  built  of  Kasota  stone,  a  buff  limestone,  a 
structure  of  great  architectural  beauty  and  admir- 
ably suited  to  its  purpose."  With  this,  together 
with  Gridley  hall  and  Goodsell  observatory,  Carle- 
ton  was  now  possessed  of  three  buildings,  each  in 
its  way  so  nearly  perfect  as  to  leave  nothing  better 
to  be  desired. 

But  to  this  signal  and  most  cheering  success, 
disappointment  and  hope  long  deferred  were  closely 
joined  in  connection  with  another  building  project. 
For  in  the  spring  of  1893,  at  a  meeting  of  the 


JAMES  W.  SCOVJLLE. 


THE  NINETIES  255 

board  it  had  been  voted  to  enlarge  Williams 
(science)  hall  as  soon  as  $15,000  were  raised  for 
the  purpose.  Well  might  this  task  be  undertaken 
at  the  soonest  and  be  urged  to  a  speedy  con- 
clusion, for  the  structure  named  had  been  of  neces- 
sity put  to  multitudinous  uses  besides  those  for 
which  it  was  designed,  and  was  packed  from  bot- 
tom to  top  with  a  very  wilderness  of  objects  valu- 
able indeed,  but  here  out  of  place.  At  one  time 
a  conditional  offer  of  a  considerable  sum  was  made 
by  a  Minnesota  friend,  but  because  the  conditions 
could  not  be  met,  nothing  came  of  it  except  dis- 
appointment. And  even  yet,  after  a  full  decade  has 
passed,  the  enlargement  has  not  been  made.  It 
was  a  slight  solace  that  early  in  this  period  it  could 
be  made  known  through  the  catalogue  that  "  a 
cottage,  given  to  the  college  by  M.  W.  Skinner, 
is  used  as  an  additional  dormitory  for  women." 
Or  later,  that  "  provision  is  made  for  rooms  and 
board  at  the  college  cottage  for  a  limited  number 
of  young  women  who  cannot  meet  the  expenses  at 
Gridley  Hall.  They  do  the  work  of  the  household 
under  the  direction  of  a  matron,  reducing  their  ex- 
penses to  the  lowest  practical  limit."  Later  the 
one  cottage  had  increased  to  three. 

In  1891  it  was  announced:  "The  college  has 
long  recognized  the  desirability  of  systematic 
physical  training.  Provision  was  made  in  the  build- 
ing of  Gridley  Hall  for  a  gymnasium  for  the  young 
ladies.  During  the  past  year  similar  provision  has 


256          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

been  made  for  young  men.  There  will  be  offered 
hereafter  excellent  opportunities  for  development  of 
the  physique  and  for  exercise.  Students  are  re- 
quired, during  two  years  of  their  course,  to  select 
some  form  of  exercise,  and  are  encouraged  to  con- 
tinue it  throughout  their  stay  in  the  institution." 
Choice  could  be  made  between  light  gymnastics, 
heavy  gymnastics,  and  military  drill.  "  Each  of  the 
several  forms  of  training  will  be  under  the  direc- 
tion of  a  competent  instructor."  For  several  years 
military  drill  appears  to  have  been  held  in  honor. 
"  Those  who  engage  in  it  are  organized  into  com- 
panies. A  sufficient  number  of  muskets  and  equip- 
ments have  been  procured.  A  uniform  has  been 
adopted,  consisting  of  dress-coat,  fatigue- jacket, 
trousers,  vest  and  cap."  In  1892,  without  reason 
given,  this  statement  appeared :  "  The  military 
drill,  formerly  pursued  in  the  institution,  has  been 
discontinued."  And  this  one  also :  "  The  college 
controls  for  the  use  of  the  young  men  the  gym- 
nasium in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building.  This  has 
been  supplied  with  apparatus  of  the  most  approved 
patterns.  The  assembly  hall  is  used  for  class  exer- 
cises." In  1896,  the  library  having  made  its  escape 
and  been  installed  in  a  domicile  of  its  own,  under 
the  head  of  "Physical  Culture "  the  catalogue 
states  that  "  for  the  use  of  the  young  men  the 
building  formerly  used  as  an  observatory  has  been 
fitted  up  and  supplied  with  bathrooms  and  gym- 
nastic apparatus." 


THE  NINETIES  257 

The  advent  of  this  decade  was  signalized  by  the 
inauguration  of  certain  radical  changes  in  the  char- 
acter of  the  institution  in  relation  to  instruction 
and  courses  of  study.  At  the  beginning  and  for 
three  years,  for  lack  of  students  sufficiently  ad- 
vanced to  form  suitable  classes,  there  had  really 
been  no  college  in  existence  except  in  name;  and 
afterwards  for  twenty  years,  for  lack  of  funds, 
buildings,  teachers,  etc.,  college  and  academy  had 
been  closely  allied  and  at  some  points  well  nigh 
blended.  But  now  the  two  were  thoroughly  sep- 
arated and  made  so  distinct  as  to  merely  co-exist 
in  juxtaposition  upon  the  same  campus  and  to  unite 
in  certain  general  exercises.  Through  lapse  of 
time,  bringing  marked  increase  of  stature  and 
strength,  it  was  allowable  now,  and  needful,  to  step 
forth  from  youth  and  nonage  into  adolescence,  put- 
ting childish  things  away.  The  revolution  arranged 
for  was  announced  in  this  paragraph :  "  Important 
changes  in  the  methods  and  the  courses  of  study 
pursued  in  the  institution  have  recently  been  de- 
cided upon,  and  will,  it  is  believed,  give  greater 
efficiency  and  completeness  to  its  work.  The  pre- 
paratory and  the  collegiate  departments,  hitherto 
under  the  instruction  of  the  same  corps  of  teach- 
ers, are  to  be  so  separated  that  each  shall  have 
its  own  faculty.  The  preparatory  department  is 
to  be  raised  to  the  rank  of  a  well-equipped  academy, 
with  an  enlarged  course  of  study  and  with  teachers 
selected  for  their  ability  and  experience  in  this 


258          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

kind  of  work.  The  college  faculty  will  devote 
itself  exclusively  to  the  collegiate  department, 
whose  curriculum  has  been  revised  and  expanded  in 
accordance  with  the  best  modern  standards.  A 
wide  range  of  optional  and  elective  studies  is  now 
offered,  allowing  each  student  to  select  such  a 
course  as  his  natural  tastes,  his  aptitudes  and  the 
demands  of  his  future  calling  may  dictate.  The 
new  plan  will  go  into  effect  at  the  opening  of  the 
next  college  year,  September,  1891."  As  hitherto, 
three  courses  were  to  be  offered,  the  classical,  the 
literary  and  the  scientific,  with  these  subdivisions : 
i,  philosophy;  2,  the  Bible  and  the  Christian  faith 
(soon  changed  to  biblical  literature);  3,  history; 
4,  Greek;  5  Latin;  6,  French;  7,  German;  8, 
rhetoric  and  oratory;  9,  English  language;  10, 
English  literature;  n,  general  literature;  12, 
mathematics;  13,  astronomy;  14,  chemistry;  15, 
physics;  16,  biology;  17,  geology;  18,  music.  This, 
certainly,  is  an  astounding  evolution,  the  product,  as 
it  is,  of  the  growth  of  only  two  decades.  And  con- 
vincing evidence  here  appears  that  Carleton  is  fully 
awake  to  the  educational  movements  of  the  times 
and  proposes,  so  far  as  possible,  to  supply  her 
students  with  the  very  best  of  intellectual  oppor- 
tunities. 

Not  many  changes  of  especial  significance  oc- 
curred in  the  personnel  of  the  institution.  In  1891 
Professor  Goodhuc  retired  from  the  headship  of  the 
academy  and  was  chosen  dean  of  the  faculty;  and 


THE  NINETIES  259 

the  same  year  Miss  Lucia  E.  Danforth  became 
preceptress  of  the  academy.  In  1892  Miss  Evans 
was  granted  leave  of  absence  for  rest  and  study 
in  Europe;  and  Frederick  E.  Stratton  became  prin- 
cipal of  the  academy  and  teacher  of  Greek.  In 
1899  George  H.  Alden  became  professor  of  his- 
tory and  political  science;  and  Ansel  A.  Knowlton 
teacher  of  chemistry,  physics  and  physical  training. 
By  the  end  of  this  period  the  instructors  of  every 
grade  in  all  departments  unmbered  no  less  than 
twenty-five,  a  growth  of  twenty-two  since  the  ad- 
vent of  President  Strong. 

As  to  the  student  attendance,  with  quite  marked 
variations  the  general  tendency  was  clearly  upward. 
Thus  at  the  beginning  of  the  period  there  were  94 
in  the  four  college  classes  and  in  the  institution 
321;  while  at  the  end  the  number  was  377,  in- 
cluding a  senior  class  of  32  and  a  freshman  class 
of  91.  This  growth  is  all  the  more  remarkable 
when  we  recall  the  fact  that  both  Yankton  and 
Fargo  colleges  were  now  pushing  themselves  into 
notice;  but  far  more  the  fact  that  the  high  schools 
of  the  state  were  doing  academical  work,  while 
the  university,  with  free  tuition,  its  location  in  a 
large  city  and  the  presence  of  crowds,  was  an  al- 
luring competitor. 

Two  anniversary  celebrations  were  held  during 
this  period,  about  three  years  apart;  the  one  recall- 
ing the  opening  of  the  school  in  September  of  1867, 
and  the  other  the  forming  of  the  first  college  class, 


260 

as  well  as  the  beginning  of  the  administration  of 
President  Strong  in  1870.  It  was  not  far  from 
the  date  of  this  second  gathering  for  joyful  rem- 
iniscence that,  having  filled  a  quarter-century  to 
the  full  with  most  faithful,  self-denying,  laborious 
and  efficient  service,  the  president  felt  constrained 
to  take  steps  to  retire  from  a  position  involving 
such  heavy  responsibilities  and  such  crushing  bur- 
dens; and  so  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  board 
in  1895  presented  his  resignation,  with  this  as  a 
portion  of  the  statement  added,  giving  his  rea- 
sons for  the  act : 

"  For  thirty-eight  years  optical  difficulties,  far 
greater  than  most  of  my  friends  have  understood, 
have  burdened  me.  My  work,  except  the  little 
necessary  for  public  evening  services,  has  been  con- 
fined to  the  day-time,  and  only  a  limited  use  of  day- 
light could  be  allowed.  To  be  cut  off  from  the 
earnest  student-life  which  gave  my  youth  such  in- 
tense delight,  to  lay  aside  those  scholarly  ambitions 
once  so  strong,  have  involved  much  more  than  a 
personal  disappointment;  they  have  rendered  im- 
possible literary  work  naturally  expected,  and  such 
as,  if  well  done,  would  bring  credit  to  the  institu- 
tion. What  little  labor  of  that  kind  was  attempted 
during  the  years  of  my  pastorate  and  the  early 
years  here,  was  done  through  the  self-sacrificing 
assistance  of  one  in  the  closest  earthly  relation, 
whose  special  endowments  peculiarly  fitted  her  for 


THE  NINETIES  261 

such  work,  and  who,  while  health  remained,  gave 
herself  to  it  with  a  devotion  which  knows  no  with- 
holding of  time  or  strength  or  zeal.  Words  can- 
not express  my  appreciation  of  what  she  has  been 
and  what  she  has  done.  Her  regret  has  been  no 
less  than  my  own,  that  physical  hindrances  should 
so  prevent  the  full  realization  of  our  ideals.  But 
God's  methods  of  using  his  children  are  wiser  than 
their  own.  Except  for  these  limitations  I  should 
never  have  come  into  my  present  position;  and  so 
far  as  I  can  judge,  my  life  must  have  been  even 
less  useful  than  I  hope  it  has  been.  Other  limita- 
tions constraining  me  to  this  present  action  are 
those  caused  by  the  injuries  received  in  a  rail- 
road accident  soon  after  commencing  this  work 
in  1870.  From  the  effects  of  those  injuries  I  can 
never  be  free.  Their  discomforts'  need  no  consid- 
eration, but  only  the  fact  that  they  have  practically 
increased  my  age  and  decreased  my  effectiveness. 
More  vigorous  health  cannot  be  expected  with  ad- 
vancing years,  and  surely  college  interests  ought 
not  to  suffer  through  any  misfortune  or  weakness 
of  mine.  The  work  is  of  far  more  consequence  than 
the  worker.  .  .  .  Though  conscious  of  weak- 
ness and  not  blind  to  my  mistakes,  I  have  done 
what  I  could.  My  only  claim  is,  that  as  God  has 
given  me  grace  to  discern  my  duty,  I  have  tried' 
to  do  it." 

There  is  no  need  to  say  that  the  resignation  was 


262  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

not  accepted.  Instead,  after  every  member  of  the 
board  had  spoken  freely,  expressing  his  conviction, 
(the  president  not  being  present),  the  vote  not 
to  accept  was  unanimous.  The  honored  head  of 
the  institution  had  not  degenerated  into  an  incum- 
brance;  he  was  not  even  so  infirm  as  to  be  of  no 
more  valuable  service;  in  fact,  as  yet  he  could  not 
at  all  be  spared.  His  work  was  not  completed.  In 
particular,  another  important  financial  campaign 
was  at  the  doors  and  for  this  he,  vastly  better  than 
any  other,  was  fitted  to  be  the  leader  and  inspira- 
tion. From  such  a  terrible  ordeal  he  richly  de- 
served to  be  released,  but  that  could  not  be. 

An  unusually  large  number  of  Carleton's  friends 
and  supporters  passed  out  of  life  during  this  period. 
Among  the  most  prominent  were  Judge  E.  S. 
Jones  and  Hiram  Scriver.  The  former  was  almost 
lavish  in  his  gifts,  and  of  the  latter  the  board 
say  in  a  minute  soon  after  put  on  record :  "  A 
trustee  from  the  organization  of  the  college  and 
recording  secretary  until  1882,  whose  sacrifices, 
labors  and  benefactions  have  been  numerous  and 
generously  bestowed  from  the  first  days  of  its  ex- 
istence, and  whose  faith  in  its  future,  whose  coun- 
sels in  its  behalf,  whose  care  and  prudence  in 
the  management  of  its  affairs,  made  him  one  of 
the  most  valuable  and  trustworthy  counsellors." 
These  two  died  in  the  opening  year  of  the  decade 
and  only  a  few  weeks  apart.  In  addition,  these 


THE  NINETIES  263 

four  clergymen  ceased  from  their  labors  in  behalf 
of  the  Kingdom:  Joseph  S.  Rounce,  Northfield's 
first  pastor,  in  1893;  Edward  Brown  and  Charles 
B.  Sheldon,  in  1896,  and  Malcolm  McG.  Dana, 
in  1898.  The  last  named  was  especially  enthusias- 
tic and  indefatigable  in  his  service  of  the  college 
until  his  departure  for  the  East  some  ten  years  be- 
fore his  death. 

From  time  to  time,  the  college  campus  had  re- 
ceived additions  by  purchase  or  donation,  until 
from  twenty  acres  it  had  grown  to  fifty.  One  of 
the  later  enlargements  came  as  a  gift  from  Deacon 
Allen  N.  Nourse,  whose  property  adjoined  the 
campus  upon  the  east.  About  the  middle  of  the 
decade  the  beginning  of  an  arboretum  was  made. 
To  enlist  public  interest  in  the  project,  a  request 
was  sent  throughout  the  state  that  every  church 
and  Sunday  school  should  be  represented  by  the 
gift  of  a  tree.* 

The  college  corporation  had  always  been  chary 
of  gifts  in  the  shape  of  honorary  degrees,  wisely 
preferring  to  wait  until  lapse  of  years  and  worthy 
achievement  had  secured  for  the  institution  good 
standing  and  a  solid  reputation.  But  in  1895,  after 
a  quarter-century  of  college  work  had  been  done, 
three  clergymen  were  constituted  doctors  of  divin- 


*  In  pushing  this  project  Mrs.  C.  W.  Hackett,  of  St.  Paul, 
was  especially  active  through  an  extensive  correspondence, 
to  excite  interest  and  secure  co-operation. 


264          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

ity:  Stephen  A.  Norton,  a  former  student,  with 
Delavan  L.  Leonard  and  Edward  M.  Williams, 
former  pastors  of  the  Northfield  church  and  mem- 
bers of  the  board.  One  alumnus,  Rev.  A.  Z.  Con- 
rad, '82,  had  previously  been  honored  in  the  same 
way. 


WILLIAM   H.    LAIRD. 


THE  NEW  CENTURY  265 


CHAPTER    IX. 
THE  NEW  CENTURY. 

Summary  and  Review. 

In  outline  reasonably  full  the  story  of  the  col- 
lege has  now  been  presented  as  far  as  to  the  close 
of  the  century  which  gave  it  birth.  Probably  no 
thoughtful  and  candid  reader  of  these  pages  thus 
far  has  failed  to  reach  the  conclusion  that  the  nar- 
rative is  full  of  interest,  and  contains  passages 
not  a  few  which  are  really  striking  and  unusual. 
And  yet,  possibly  it  may  seem  to  some  that  this 
institution  is  altogether  too  youthful  to  have  much 
history  worth  the  telling;  is  far  too  lacking  in 
the  elements  of  the  venerable  and  the  hoary  to  in- 
spire interest  and  reverence.  Its  genesis  is  altogether 
too  recent,  the  events  involved  are  too  well  known. 
Harvard  and  Yale  are  of  ancient  origin,  the  one 
dating  from  1636  and  the  other  from  1701,  and 
hence  their  records  cover  nearly  as  many  centuries 
as  those  of  Carleton  do  decades.  Indeed,  it  can- 
not but  be  that  something  of  glamour  and  kindling 
of  imagination  are  lacking  in  the  theme  of  the 
present  volume.  But  then,  at  the  worst,  more  than 
a  generation  has  passed  since  the  students  first  be- 
gan to  gather;  while  if,  as  we  may  and  should,  we 
go  back  to  the  date  when  the  college  actually  began 


266          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

to  exist  in  thought,  and  longing,  and  purpose,  and 
planning  and  struggle,  we  have  well  nigh  a  half- 
century  to  include.  Almost  all  the  founders  and 
early  builders  have  passed  away,  and  all  who  sur- 
vive are  advanced  in  years;  while  the  task  of 
sustaining  and  enlarging  has  passed  into  other 
hands.  But  what  is  more  to  the  present  purpose, 
the  world  moves  forward  far  faster  now  than  for- 
merly, borrowing  speed  from  steam  and  electricity, 
so  that  events,  changes,  progress,  which  once  re- 
quired a  century,  in  our  time  transpire  within  the 
limits  of  a  decade.  Nor  is  importance  to  be  at- 
tached to  the  mere  coming  and  going  of  many  years, 
but  rather  to  achievements  made,  betterment 
wrought  out  to  human-kind,  be  the  period  covered 
long  or  short.  Tried  by  this  test  Carleton  is  not 
juvenile  and  under  age,  but  of  ripe  years  and  time- 
honored.  On  many  accounts  it  is  well  worth  while 
to  review  briefly  the  happenings  of  the  last  fifty 
years,  and  note  the  marvelous  and  multitudinous 
changes  which  have  occurred  in  the  world  at  large. 
As  the  rehearsal  is  made  how  remote  and  dream- 
like do  the  days  appear  which  witnessed  the  lay- 
ing of  Carleton's  foundation  stones! 
1  First,  recall  the  innumerable  discoveries  in  every 
realm ;  the  inventions  most  amazing,  both  for  num- 
ber and  importance ;  more  probably  than  in  the  en- 
tire stretch  extending  to  the  Christian  era.  The 
triumphs  of  the  locomotive,  and  the  steamship,  and 
the  printing  press.  The  globe  girdled  by  ocean 


THE  NEW  CENTURY  267 

cables,  the  earth's  surface  gridironed  by  railways, 
and  the  ends  of  the  earth  brought  into  instantaneous 
communication.  What  rapid  strides  has  the  Eng- 
lish language  made  towards  universal  use,  and  the 
Anglo-Saxon  towards  universal  leadership  and 
commanding  influence  in  the  world's  affairs;  with 
these  priceless  benefits  always  and  everywhere  in- 
cluded, civil  and  religious  liberty  and  the  spirit 
of  democracy;  Christian  civilization,  and  a  free 
field  for  protestant  Christianity.  In  full  keeping 
and  largely  as  a  result,  greater  advance  has  been 
made  towards  world-wide  evangelization  than  in 
the  fifteen  centuries  preceding.  Or,  descending 
more  into  detail,  in  1850  Africa  had  been  touched 
only  at  the  extreme  southern  tip  and  at  a  few 
points  upon  the  coast;  but  since  has  been  explored 
and  even  partitioned  among  the  European  powers. 
Livingstone  died  in  1873,  and  four  years  later 
Stanley  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Kongo.  Aus- 
tralia had  not  yet  emerged  from  the  woeful  estate 
of  a  penal  settlement,  with  Botany  Bay  and  Van 
Diemen's  Land  as  synonym  and  summing  up;  but 
now  behold  the  prosperous  and  enterprising  Aus- 
tralasian commonwealth,  at  some  points  fairly 
rivaling  the  American  Republic.  China,  Korea  and 
Japan,  then  fast-closed  for  centuries,  but  wide  open 
now,  and  the  last-named  pushing  forward  at  such 
well-nigh  headlong  pace  as  already  to  have  been 
admitted  to  equality  with  western  nations.  It  was 
in  1854  that  Commodore  Perry  with  his  warships 


268          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

cast  anchor  in  Yedo  Bay,  and  refused  to  take  his 
departure  until  the  gates  began  to  open.  In  the 
same  decade  occurred  the  Indian  Mutiny  and  the 
Crimean  War,  and  in  the  next  the  opening  of  the 
Suez  canal  and  the  emancipation  of  more  than  20,- 
000,000  serfs  in  Russia.  In  1870  the  Franco-Prus- 
sian war  broke  out,  with  these  among  the  moment- 
ous results;  the  inauguration  of  the  German  em- 
pire; the  utter  overthrow  of  Napoleon  III.  and  his 
imperial  system,  coupled  with  the  setting  up  of  the 
French  Republic  on  solid  foundations;  the  libera- 
tion and  unification  of  Italy,  including  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Pope's  temporal  power,  which  had  been 
maintained  for  more  than  eleven  hundred  years. 
Disraeli  and  Gladstone  were  in  the  midst  of  their 
careers ;  Dickens  and  Thackeray  had  done  their  best 
work ;  Carlyle's  "  Frederick  the  Great  "  appeared 
in  1865 ;  "  Aurora  Leigh  "  preceded  it  by  ten  years, 
while  "  In  Memoriam  "  was  published  as  far  back 
as  1851. 

So  much  for  the  Old  World.  Crossing  the  ocean, 
Brazil  was  a  monarchy  as  yet.  About  three  months 
before  the  "  American  House "  became  the  col- 
lege, Maximilian,  the  puppet  of  Napoleon  III.,  the 
would-be  emperor  of  Mexico,  was  executed.  The 
same  year,  by  purchase,  Alaska  became  American 
soil.  Since  the  last  half-century  opened,  the  fron- 
tier has  been  pushed  from  the  Missouri  to  the 
Pacific ;  that  is,  across  two-thirds  of  the  continent ; 
while  in  the  vast  spaces  thus  redeemed  from  empti- 


THE  NEW  CENTURY  269 

ness  and  desolation,  the  Rocky  mountain  region, 
the  "  Great  American  Desert,"  no  less  than  fifteen 
imperial  commonwealths  have  been  reared,  with 
more  soon  to  follow.  Vast  stores  of  gold  and  sil- 
ver have  been  added  to  the  world's  wealth.  In 
1858  Pike's  Peak  became  a  name  to  conjure  with; 
the  next  year  the  Comstock  lode  in  Nevada  was  un- 
covered, while  in  1863  silver  mines  were  discovered 
in  Utah  and  gold  dust  was  washed  from  the  gravel 
of  Alder  Gulch,  Montana.  In  1869  the  overland 
wagon  and  the  pony  express  were  exchanged  for 
the  locomotive,  with  five  other  trans-continental 
railway  lines  since  brought  into  being.  The  sus- 
pension bridge  across  Niagara  dates  from  1855,  and 
in  1858  the  first  cable  was  stretched  across  the 
Atlantic,  that  is,  the  year  before  Mr.  Goodsell  re- 
moved to  Minnesota  with  a  college  in  his  mind's 
eye.  At  that  date  the  population  of  Chicago  had 
just  passed  the  100,000  mark.  In  1850  the  Union 
held,  not  as  now  76,303,000  inhabitants,  but  only 
23,191,000.  Not  a  few  leaders  among  the  second 
generation  of  American  statesmen,  like  Calhoun, 
Clay  and  Webster,  were  still  in  the  land  of  the 
living,  while  their  successors,  Chase,  Seward,  Sum- 
ner,  etc.,  were  just  attaining  to  a  national  fame; 
but  since,  these  also  have  disappeared  and  a  fourth 
generation  now  conducts  the  affairs  of  the  nation. 
When  the  Rochester  conference  resolved  that  the 
time  had  come  to  move  in  earnest  for  a  college, 
Mr.  Lincoln  was  in  the  midst  of  his  first  presiden- 


270          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

tial  term.  The  times  seem  antediluvian  to  which 
belong  the  victories  of  Gettysburg  and  Vicksburg, 
the  capture  of  Atlanta  in  September  of  1864,  and 
Sherman's  start  upon  his  immortal  picnic  excursion 
to  the  sea  a  few  weeks  later.  The  glorious  galaxy 
of  our  literary  lights  were  still  shining  at  their 
brightest;  the  "  Scarlet  Letter  "  appearing  in  1850, 
"  Hiawatha  "  in  1855,  tne  "  Autocrat  of  the  Break- 
fast Table  "  in  1857,  "  Snow  Bound,"  in  1866  and 
the  second  series  of  the  "  Biglow  Papers "  also 
in  the  sixties.  Who  has  the  hardihood  to  term  such 
a  catalogue  of  events  recent?  Since  then  time 
enough  has  elapsed  to  see  the  union  restored,  the 
ghastly  wounds  of  a  five-years'  war  all  healed  and 
even  the  scars  all  removed;  since  then  the  furious 
passions  of  rebellion  days  have  burned  to  ashes,  and 
fraternal  feeling  between  North  and  South  has  ad- 
vanced almost  to  perfection. 

Fifty  Years  in  Minnesota. — At  the  beginning  of 
the  period  only  a  territorial  government  was  in  ex- 
istence, which  lasted  but  eight  years.  The  boun- 
daries were  ample,  embracing  160,000  square  miles, 
extending  to  the  Missouri  and  so  embracing  both 
Dakotas;  though  the  soil  was  mainly  in  the  hands 
of  the  Indians,  and  the  population  was  only  6,077, 
climbing,  however,  to  172,023  during  the  decade 
ensuing.  How  phenomenal  the  increase  since  then, 
for  the  2,000,000  mark  has  been  nearly  attained. 
Taking  into  account  its  combined  location  upon  the 
continent,  its  ample  proportions,  climate,  soil,  ma- 


THE  NEW  CENTURY  271 

terial  resources  in  general,  as  well  as  the  charac- 
ter of  its  inhabitants,  Minnesota  dearly  ranks 
among  the  very  foremost  of  our  commonwealths; 
nor  have  many,  if  indeed  any,  a  brighter  future 
assured.  How  incredible  that  as  recently  as  1860 
its  capital  city  could  be  reported  officially  as  hav- 
ing a  population  of  10,277  and  "  two  schools  with 
1,324  pupils,"  while  a  certain  cyclopedia  published 
as  late  as  1862  does  not  contain  the  name  even 
of  Minneapolis !  A  few  miles  of  railway  track  had 
been  laid,  but  there  was  no  approach  to  the  state 
from  the  east  except  by  wagon  or  by  the  river.  So 
it  was  far  out  of  the  world  and  in  feeble  infancy. 
It  appears  also  that  the  career  of  Carleton  covers 
practically  all  the  progress  witnessed  in  this,  the 
mightiest  commonwealth  in  the  entire  Northwest. 
These  figures  are  impressive  as  representing  to 
the  eye  the  astounding  and  unparalleled  changes 
which  a  half-century  has  wrought,  in  a  region  too, 
so  frigid  and  frost-bitten  as  to  be  gravely  pro- 
nounced by  government  explorers  "  uninhabitable 
save  for  Indians  and  herds,  and  unproductive  ex- 
cept for  a  few  of  the  hardiest  cereal  crops !  "  Some- 
how, notwithstanding  such  drawbacks,  according 
to  the  last  census  at  least  1,751,400  members  of 
the  human  family  manage  to  survive  and  to  be  rea- 
sonably happy  and  prosperous  therein.  Of  these 
the  native-born  number  1,246,076  and  the  foreign- 
born  505,318.  Of  the  latter  portion  220,371  are 
Scandinavian,  that  is,  among  the  very  best  of  the 


272          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

foreign  population  considered  as  material  out  of 
which  excellent  American  citizens  are  certain  and 
soon  to  be  made.  If  we  take  the  two  chief  cities 
as  one  (and  certainly  they  ought  at  the  soonest 
to  be  at  least  federated  like  the  constituent  elements 
of  which  Greater  New  York  is  fashioned),  that  is, 
Minneapolis  with  202,718  inhabitants,  and  St. 
Paul  with  163,065,  we  have  a  municipality  larger 
than  Buffalo  and  approximating  closely  to  Cleve- 
land, which  is  seventh  for  size  among  American 
cities.  Next  comes  Duluth  with  its  52,969,  whose 
site  less  than  twenty-five  years  ago  was  covered 
by  a  forest  (and  close  by,  almost  touching,  is 
Superior  City),  with  proportions  no  doubt  destined 
rapidly  and  extraordinarily  to  increase.  Then  fol- 
low these  cities:  Winona,  19,714;  Still  water, 
12,318;  and  Mankato,  10,599,  with  ten  others  with 
less  than  10,000  but  more  than  5,000  inhabitants, 
standing  in  this  order:  Faribault,  Red  Wing, 
Brainerd,  Rochester,  Fergus  Falls,  Little  Falls, 
Owatonna,  Austin,  New  Ulm  and  Crookston.  Of 
cities  and  villages  containing  more  than  1,000  in- 
habitants, Minnesota  is  possessed  of  no  less  than 
122.  As  standing  for  another  most  characteristic 
and  important  phase  of  progress,  the  state  univer- 
sity, the  crown  of  the  public  school  system  of  the 
state,  has  forged  forward  within  little  more  than  a 
generation  from  almost  nothing  to  a  rank  among 
the  foremost  of  such  institutions,  having  in  the 
opening  year  of  the  century  28  buildings,  245  in- 


THE  NEW  CENTURY  273 

structors  and  3,236  students;  the  latter  numbering 
two  years  later  3,550. 

Turning  now  to  the  material  side  of  things,  how 
great  is  the  marvel  both  of  abundance  and  the 
variety  with  which  the  state  has  been  endowed.  Its 
lumber  product  is  unsurpassed  and  its  Mesaba  and 
Vermillion  ranges,  which  ten  years  ago  were 
scarcely  known,  are  unequaled  for  their  output  of 
iron  ore.  For  its  wheat  crop  also  Minnesota  stands 
without  a  peer  with  her  95,278,660  bushels  har- 
vested in  1900,  North  Dakota  following  far  behind 
with  59,889,000,  and  Ohio  coming  next  with  50,- 
377,000.  As  a  flax-producer  only  North  Dakota 
is  ahead.  Illinois,  Iowa  and  Wisconsin  can  boast 
of  a  larger  oat  crop,  though  74,054,150  bushels  are 
not  to  be  despised.  In  the  corn  market  thirteen 
states  claim  superiority,  since  only  47,256,920 
bushels  ripen  annually  on  Minnesota  soil.  Turn- 
ing finally  to  dairy  products,  the  front  rank  is 
again  reached,  with  82,363,315  pounds  of  butter 
(with  quality  fully  matching  quantity),  and 
3.575,642  pounds  of  cheese.  Behold,  what  marvels 
fifty  years  have  brought  forth! 

Congregationalism. — In  the  land  at  large  the 
denomination  was  just  beginning  to  emerge  from 
gloomy  days  of  darkness  and  chaos  into  order  and 
comeliness  when  Carleton  was  beginning  to  be.  The 
fateful  "  Plan  of  Union  "  was  fast  falling  into  a 
well-earned  disuse  and  destined  soon  to  be  re- 
pudiated by  all  parties  concerned.  The  Michigan 


274          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

City  Convention,  the  first  movement  looking  to- 
wards unification  and  co-operation  upon  a  national 
scale,  had  been  held  in  1846;  that  leading  to  the 
Albany  Convention  in  1852,  with  the  Boston  Coun- 
cil taking  a  great  step  forward  in  1865;  and  the 
culmination  reached  in  the  first  of  the  triennial 
councils,  held  at  Oberlin  in  1871.  Now  for  the 
first  time  the  gathering  of  statistics  began.  In  1860 
the  ministers  were  found  to  number  2,678,  the 
churches  2,555  and  the  members  255,030.  By  the 
end  of  the  century  the  figures  had  increased  to 
5,568  ministers,  5,650  churches  and  633,349  mem- 
bers. Relating  to  church  finances  no  figures  were 
gathered  until  1870,  and  that  year  benevolent  con- 
tributions were  given  as  $1,150,814;  by  1885  these 
had  increased  to  $1,677,219,  and  home  expenses 
were  $3,909,225;  and  by  the  end  of  the  century 
they  were,  respectively,  $2,333,357  an<*  $7*574,672. 
When  Carleton  was  founded  only  twelve  Congre- 
gational colleges  existed  outside  of  New  England; 
but  now  the  number  has  gone  upward  beyond  forty, 
the  increase  being  almost  wholly  found  in  the 
South  and  the  newer  West. 

A  review  of  Congregational  growth  in  Minne- 
sota is  next  in  order;  a  phenomenon  confined  of 
course  entirely  within  the  limits  of  the  last  half- 
century.  In  1851  a  single  church  was  found — 
one  just  organized  at  St.  Anthony,  and  two  minis- 
ters, both  home  missionaries,  one  of  whom  is  yet 
in  the  land  of  the  living.  That  mother  church 


THE  NEW  CENTURY  275 

stood  alone  for  two  years  (omitting  Point  Doug- 
las, soon  removed  to  Prescott,  Wisconsin),  until 
a  second  was  formed  at  Excelsior,  and  a  third  at 
Winona  a  year  later  still.  But  soon  such  a  process 
of  growth  set  in  that  by  1860  the  churches  num- 
bered 54  with  1,406  members  and  31  ministers;  by 
1880  the  figures  had  changed  to  140  churches  with 
6,940  members  and  115  ministers;  and  in  1900  to 
237  churches  18,178  members  and  199  ministers. 
During  the  last  two  decades  the  beneficences  ad- 
vanced from  $15,973  to  $46,366,  and  the  home 
expenses  from  $90,402  to  $233,633.  If  compared 
with  other  states  in  this  particular,  the  fact  appears 
that  Minnesota  ranks  ninth  for  the  number  of 
Congregational  churches,  and  eighth  for  the  num- 
ber of  members.  If  compared  with  neighboring 
commonwealths,  Illinois,  Iowa  and  Wisconsin  are 
stronger  (as  they  might  well  be  since  they  are  also 
older  by  several  decades),  though  in  the  last  named, 
the  difference  is  not  great.  Kansas,  however, 
though  considerable  older,  falls  below  at  every 
point.  If  we  turn  to  the  chief  city  of  the  state  and 
compare  it  with  other  municipalities,  we  find  it  ad- 
vancing well  towards  the  front,  ranking  fifth  for 
the  number  of  churches,  being  surpassed  only  by 
Chicago,  Boston,  Brooklyn  and  Cleveland;  though 
in  point  of  members  it  falls  to  the  eighth  place, 
with  Worcester,  Hartford  and  New  Haven  also 
ahead.  Brooklyn  has  only  four  more  churches 
than  Minneapolis,  and  Cleveland  only  one.  If  the 


276          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

Twin  Cities  be  counted  as  a  unit,  then  the  number 
of  churches  rises  to  33 ;  exactly  the  same  as  Boston 
contains.  At  any  rate,  it  is  within  the  facts  to 
affirm  that  within  the  limits  of  the  square  miles 
which  conain  the  two,  are  found  more  Congrega- 
tional churches,  with  one  exception,  than  upon  any 
equal  space  in  the  Union!  Still  further,  in  propor- 
tion to  its  population,  Minneapolis  is  a  full  match 
for  Chicago  itself!  Therefore,  what  wonders  of 
outcome  have  followed  from  that  heroic  and  reso- 
lute deed  of  Father  Seccombe  at  St.  Anthony  in 
1851.  The  day  and  the  deed  were  suitably  remem- 
bered just  fifty  years  afterwards  when  the  state 
association  met  with  that  church  (now  Minne- 
apolis First),  in  semi-centennial  exercises  of  rem- 
iniscence and  thanksgiving. 

Such  development  of  the  denomination  in  the 
state  is  quite  satisfactory;  but  how  does  it  compare 
with  that  seen  in  other  ecclesiastical  bodies,  espe- 
cially those  possessing  most  points  in  common? 
In  1891,  in  his  "  Congregationalism  in  Minnesota," 
Rev.  Archibald  Hadden  says :  "  Comparing  the 
year  books  of  the  five  leading  protestant  bodies, 
we  reach  the  following  result,  showing  their  rela- 
tive strength  at  the  end  of  last  year: 

1.  Congregationalists,    182     churches;     13,250 
members. 

2.  Presbyterians,   184  churches;   13,028  mem- 
bers. 

3.  Methodists,  287  churches;  20,270  members. 


THE  NEW  CENTURY  277 

4.  Baptists,  197  churches;  14,073  members. 

5.  Episcopalians,  132  churches;  9,047  members. 
An  examination  of  similar  sources  of  authority 

discloses  the  fact  that  the  relative  strength  of  these 
several  bodies  is  substantially  the  same  in  the  open- 
ing years  of  the  century,  or  at  least  that  the  Con- 
gregational churches  have  well  held  their  own. 
Another  test,  especially  pertinent  here,  is  found  by 
comparing  certain  institutions  of  learning  in  the 
state,  taking  the  figures  contained  in  the  last  annual 
report  of  the  bureau  of  education,  including  only 
the  college  and  preparatory  departments  and  these 
four  items :  number  of  students,  number  of  volumes 
in  the  library,  value  of  productive  funds,  value  of 
buildings,  grounds  and  apparatus: 

Carleton,  355  students;  15,000,  library;  $325,- 
ooo  endowment;  $26,328,  income. 

Macalester,  136  students;  7,000,  library;  $272,- 
ooo  endowment;  $8,000  income. 

Hamline,  315  students;  6,500,  library;  $211,- 
500,  endowment;  $18,105,  income. 

Northfield  and  the  Church. — Though  this  city  is 
credited  by  the  last  census  with  a  population  of  only 
3,210,  it  yet  must  be  accorded  a  prominent  place 
among  the  municipalities  of  the  state.  Its  general 
appearance  is  sufficiently  comely  and  its  surround- 
ings are  unusually  attractive.  Improvements  of  all 
kinds  are  in  steady  progress.  The  later  buildings, 
whether  designed  for  public  business  or  residence 
purposes,  are  of  ample  proportions  as  well  as  archi- 


278          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE      • 

tecturally  up  to  date.  Graded  streets  have  recently 
taken  the  place  of  the  natural  surface,  with  a  gen- 
eral substitution  of  cement  for  lumber  as  material 
for  sidewalks.  The  occupied  spaces  are  increasing 
year  by  year  through  the  continual  erection  of  new 
houses,  especially  towards  the  east  and  south,  and 
upon  the  western  side  of  the  river,  as  if  attracted 
by  Manitou  Hights  capped  by  St.  Olaf  college. 
Within  a  score  of  years  a  large  number  of  roomy 
and  tasteful  residences  have  been  reared,  and  so 
many  more  have  been  enlarged,  improved  and 
adorned  that  the  resident  of  former  days,  return- 
ing, finds  almost  nothing  which  wears  a  familiar 
look.  Though  the  inhabitants  are  not  so  very 
many,  yet  among  them  is  found  an  unusual  pro- 
portion of  such  as  stand  high  for  intelligence  and 
for  the  possession  of  all  public  and  private  virtues. 
The  phenomenal  presence  of  this  class  was  promi- 
nent among  the  causes  which  brought  the  college 
hither,  and  ever  since  has  proved  a  powerful  mag- 
net to  attract  others  of  the  same  lofty  type.  For- 
tunately, in  Northfield  is  found  in  conjunction  a 
good  average  amount  of  financial  ability  and  a 
readiness  to  employ  the  same  in  reasonable  propor- 
tion for  the  advancement  of  all  worthy  objects. 
As  proof  and  illustration  of  this  fact  some  figures 
have  already  been  given,  but  two  or  three  other 
statements  of  the  same  kind  are  in  order  here.  Tak- 
ing the  financial  secretary  of  the  college  as  com- 
petent authority :  "  The  aggregate  giving  by  North- 


THE  NEW  CENTURY  279 

field  residents,  the  faculty  and  students  included, 
in  thirty-five  years  from  (the  beginning,  is  not  far 
from  $120,000."  When  in  the  1885-7  campaign 
for  $200,000,  the  trustees  subscribed  nearly  $50,- 
ooo,  no  less  than  $13,000  of  that  amount,  nearly 
one-third,  represented  the  contribution  of  men  of 
this  community.  And  when  St.  Olaf  school  was 
started,  pledges  were  made  here  which  aggregated 
some  $6,000. 

In  this  review  of  fifty  years  a  few  additional 
statements  will  not  be  out  of  place  relating  to  the 
local  church,  with  which,  from  the  first,  the  college 
has  been  so  intimately  associated,  with  which  also 
the  bulk  of  the  instructors  have  been  connected  as 
members,  and  in  whose  sanctuary  the  mass  of  the 
students  have  always  worshiped.  Since  the  erec- 
tion of  the  present  building  some  two  decades  ago, 
every  third  row  of  seats  has  regularly  been  set 
apart  for  student  use.  This  large  and  influential 
organization  (which  is  but  one  out  of  eight  located 
in  Northfield,  the  others  being  Baptist,  Methodist, 
Episcopal,  Moravian,  Norwegian  Lutheran,  Danish 
Lutheran,  and  Roman  Catholic),  dating  from 
1856,  is  two  years  older  than  the  state  and  is  fast 
approaching  its  semi-centennial  anniversary.  Not 
reckoning  the  schoolhouse  and  other  buildings  in 
which  it  found  shelter  during  the  early  days  of 
poverty  and  struggle  for  existence,  two  houses  of 
worship  have  been  reared  and  occupied.  To  those 
who  are  able  in  memory  to  reproduce  the  "  Old 


280          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

Brown  Church,"  both  in  appearance  and  appoint- 
ments, it  was  fearfully  and  wonderfully  made.  'The 
first  installment  measured  but  24  by  40,  was  ready 
for  use  in  1862,  and  with  three  several  additions, 
one  at  the  rear,  and  a  wing  attached  to  either  side, 
did  humble  service  for  nearly  two  decades  and  then 
happily  fell  a  prey  to  the  devouring  flames.  Seven 
pastors  have  been  called  to  teach,  lead  and  inspire, 
or  more  properly  six,  since  the  ministry  of  the  first 
one,  J.  R.  Barnes,  lasted  but  a  few  months.  These 
are  their  names:  J.  S.  Rounce,  1857-63;  E.  S. 
Williams,  1864-70;  J.  A.  Towle,  1872-5;  D.  L. 
Leonard,  1875-81;  E.  M.  Williams,  1882-9;  and 
J.  E.  McConnell,  1890 — .  Two  quasi-pastors  must 
also  be  named  in  this  connection,  who  occupied  the 
pulpit  for  a  limited  period  between  pastorates: 
Myron  A.  Munson  in  1871  and  Henry  L.  Kendall 
in  1882;  both  greatly  to  the  pleasure  and  profit 
of  the  church.  The  growth  of  this  organization 
appears  by  these  figures  which  give  the  number  of 
members  at  intervals  of  ten  years,  the  original  num- 
ber being  eight  only.  At  the  end  of  the  first  decade, 
or  in  1866,  148  were  in  fellowship;  at  the  end  of 
the  second,  258;  of  the  third,  474;  of  the  fourth, 
501 ;  increased  to  553  in  the  latest  report.  Only 
three  churches  in  the  state  have  a  larger  member- 
ship. Its  beneficences  are  especially  commendable 
and  noteworthy,  being  regular,  as  if  from  principle 
and  settled  habit,  including  almost  every  denomi- 
national interest  and  steadily  increasing  in  amount. 


THE  NEW  CENTURY  281 

The  aggregate  for  the  first  decade  was  $3,087 ;  for 
the  second,  $11,167;  the  third,  $28,187;  and  early 
in  the  last  half  of  the  fourth  they  have  climbed  to 
$31,913.  For  some  reason  no  parsonage  was  pro- 
vided until  the  nineties  were  well  advanced. 

Carleton  in  Review. — Marvels  of  progress  were 
witnessed  during  the  last  half-century  in  the  world 
at  large  and  the  land  in  which  we  live;  the  growth 
of  the  denomination  was  satisfactory,  especially 
in  Minnesota ;  but  by  comparison,  how  has  it  fared 
with  the  college  under  view  ?  Has  it  kept  pace  with 
its  environment,  material,  intellectual,  religious? 
After  referring  to  some  notable  occurrences  be- 
longing to  the  two  or  three  years  of  the  opening 
century,  certain  facts  will  be  furnished  in  a  review 
which  contain  the  substance  of  an  adequate  reply 
to  the  query. 

A  brief  account  must  be  given  of  another  strenu- 
ous and  most  successful  financial  campaign  belong- 
ing to  1900.  Sufficient  mention  has  been  made 
of  the  disappointment  mingled  with  the  satisfac- 
tion ensuing  during  the  nineties  after  $200,000  had 
been  pledged  in  the  state  for  additional  endow- 
ment, and  the  almost  desperate  methods  resorted 
to  in  order  to  diminish  expenses  and  increase  re- 
ceipts. Year  after  year  passed  without  relief  ap- 
pearing, but  instead  a  constantly  growing  deficit. 
The  business  depression  was  so  general  and  so 
severe,  and  the  last  campaign  was  still  so  recent, 
that  it  seemed  next  to  impossible  to  make  another 


282          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

appeal  for  money  with  any  reaonable  prospect  of 
success;  while  also  eastern  donors  of  large  sums 
were  somehow  not  visible  just  then.  At  length, 
in  dire  extremity,  longing  eyes  began  to  turn  more 
and  more  towards  Dr.  D.  K.  Pearsons,  of  Chi- 
cago, who  for  several  years  had  been  so  generously 
relieving  the  pecuniary  necessities  of  so  many  col- 
leges in  the  West.  Therefore  interviews  were 
sought,  with  efforts  made  to  interest  him  in  Carle- 
ton's  case,  but  for  a  long  time  apparently  without 
result.  For  months  encouragement  not  the  least 
came  from  that  quarter.  Finally,  however,  during 
a  brief  interview,  Dr.  Pearsons  put  abruptly  this 
significant  question  to  President  Strong :  "  Do  you 
think  you  could  raise  $100,000?"  "I  can  try, 
sir,"  was  the  response.  Then  followed  a  definite 
promise  of  $50,000,  on  condition  that  twice  that 
amount  should  be  secured  elsewhere  in  valid 
pledges,  on  or  before  January  I,  1901.  With  this 
challenge  made,  of  course  action  in  keeping  was 
taken  at  the  soonest.  Nothing  could  be  done  be- 
fore commencement;  but  within  a  few  weeks  one- 
half  the  amount  required  had  been  pledged;  and 
also  half  of  the  $50,000,  promised  had  been  paid. 
In  September  a  conference  of  the  friends  of  the 
college  was  held  in  Northfield  to  canvass  the  criti- 
cal situation,  closing  with  this  as  the  watchword 
from  the  lips  of  the  leader,  "  We  must  get  the  $50,- 
ooo  by  January  I,"  though  the  ruling  conviction 
was  that  the  effort  was  well  nigh  certain  to  fail; 


THE  NEW  CENTURY  283 

and  how  success  could  be  achieved  was  past  imagin- 
ing. Only  three  months  now  remained.  The  four 
chief  centers  of  hope  and,  therefore,  of  activity, 
were  Minneapolis  and  St.  Paul,  Northfield  and  Aus- 
tin. The  general  programme  was  that  President 
Strong  would  spend  two  days  canvassing  in  the 
Twin  Cities,  and  then  return  home  for  one  day  of 
rest.  The  anxiety  and  toil  were  so  severe  that  at 
length  his  limited  store  of  physical  strength  was 
well-nigh  exhausted.  His  attending  physician  de- 
clared that  such  strain  was  perilous ;  but  the  patient 
replied :  "  I  cannot  stop  now ;  I  would  rather  die 
than  fail.  You  must  help  me  keep  going."  When 
ten  days  of  December  were  gone  no  less  than  $27,- 
ooo  were  still  lacking,  and  two  days  after  Christ- 
mas the  deficit  stood  at  $12,000,  though  at  that 
date  some  further  pledges  were  secured  at  a  gather- 
ing of  former  Carleton  students.  A  meeting  of 
the  executive  committee  was  now  called,  and  the 
proposition  was  made  that  they  undertake  to  raise 
$5,000  more  in  Northfield,  with  the  president's  as- 
surance added  that  if  this  were  done,  he  would  see 
that  the  $7,000  balance  was  from  some  source 
forthcoming.  Both  parties  were  active  and  suc- 
cessful. When  the  last  day  arrived  a  visit  was 
made  to  C.  W.  Hackett  of  St.  Paul,  a  trustee  who 
had  already  pledged  $2,000,  with  this  result,  that 
before  night,  his  wife  joining  in  the  transaction, 
the  final  $5,000  was  secured.  So  that  New  Year's 
morning  saw  the  full  $150,000  added  to  the  endow- 


284          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

ment ;  though  it  also  found  the  leader  in  the  strenu- 
ous endeavor  more  dead  than  alive.  Some  400 
names  are  found  upon  the  long  list,  scattered  all  the 
land  over,  but  for  the  most  part  resident  in  Minne- 
sota. The  students  caught  the  contagion  of  giv- 
ing, the  classes  joining  in  generous  rivalry,  some 
giving  out  of  their  poverty,  and  the  aggregate  of 
their  pledges  approximated  $2,000.  The  sums  be- 
stowed during  this  canvass  varied  from  $10,000,  to 
less  than  one  dollar. 

So  much  for  the  last  financial  campaign.  The 
last  up  to  date,  that  is,  for  others  not  a  few  are 
certain  to  follow  in  years  to  come.  Rev.  E.  M. 
Williams'  homely  but  apt  comparison  of  the  col- 
lege to  the  hungry  dog  will  need  to  be  kept  in 
mind,  at  least  until  the  dawn  of  the  happy  millen- 
nial day.  Repeating  a  few  sentences  from  the 
financial  secretary  which  appeared  upon  a  former 
page :  "  The  total  running  expenses  during  the 
twenty-five  years  of  legal  existence,  1867-92,  are 
about  $450,000.  Of  this  the  students  have  paid 
in  tuition  about  $150,000;  about  $220,000  was  de- 
rived from  interest  and  other  small  producing 
sources,  and  about  $50,000  from  donations  made 
from  time  to  time.  We  may  say  that  here  is  a 
corporation  of  stockholders  who  have  a  paid-in 
capital  of  $675,000.  They  have  put  about  $240,000 
into  a  working  plant ;  have  expended  $80,000  more 
in  keeping  this  plant  in  order,  and  are  looking  for 
more  capital  in  order  to  enlarge  the  plant."  Three 


THE  NEW  CENTURY  285 

•years  later,  at  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  the 
beginning  of  President  Strong's  administration, 
Professor  Goodhue  spoke  of  "  an  educational  plant 
that  has  cost  between  $200,000  and  $300,000,  and 
an  endowment  fund  of  $300,000  more."  And  he 
further  affirms  with  good  reason,  that  "$700,000, 
or  an  average  of  $90.00  for  each  working  day  of 
that  period,  is  a  large  sum  for  one  man  to  secure 
as  benevolent  gifts  to  a  new  enterprise;  but  it  is 
a  still  greater  achievement  to  make  all  these  many 
donors  at  once  friends  to  himself,  to  the  college 
and  to  the  cause  of  Christian  education  which  it 
represents."  This  was  said  in  1895,  and  during  the 
years  which  have  elapsed  since  then,  money  has 
been  gathered  at  a  rate  at  least  no  less  per  diem, 
and  hence  to  the  sum  named 'enough  is  to  be  added 
by  this  time  to  raise  the  total  very  near  to  a  round 
$1,000,000.  The  following  statement  is  conserva- 
tive with  reference  to  the  results  of  the  several 
campaigns  in  search  of  the  "  sinews  of  war,"  to- 
gether with  search  always  diligently  maintained 
between  times.  More  than  $25,000  have  been  gath- 
ered annually  on  the  average  for  Carleton,  in  both 
East  and  West,  in  Northfield,  Minnesota,  and  the 
land  at  large.  Of  this  sum  not  far  from  $250,000 
exists  to-day  in  the  substantial  form  of  a  college 
plant  (campus,  buildings,  apparatus,  etc.),  as  a 
productive  endowment  of  about  the  same  amount, 
together  with  $60,000  of  annuity  funds  and  $30,- 
ooo  of  beneficiary,  prize  and  other  trust  funds. 


286          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

The  receipts  for  the  college  year  1901-2  were, 
from  tuition  and  other  fees,  $14,850;  from  perma- 
nent productive  funds,  $12,295;  and  from  other 
sources,  not  including  gifts,  $3,500;  a  total  of 
$30,645.  Though  a  much  larger  sum  is  greatly 
needed,  it  is  yet  a  legitimate  cause  for  wonder  and 
gratitude  that  in  so  brief  a  time  so  much  has  been 
accumulated. 

Next  after  the  accumulations  of  money,  the 
marked  increase  of  real  estate,  of  land  and  build- 
ings, is  to  be  considered.  Mr.  Goodsell's  original 
gift  in  1867  was  ten  acres.  At  the  same  time 
Charles  A.  Wheaton,*  an  earnest  and  influential 
friend  of  the  institution  from  the  beginning,  also 
gave  ten  acres.  Since  then  the  campus,  including 
the  athletic  field,  has  grown  to  eighty  acres,  or  the 
size  of  an  ordinary  farm,  possessing  a  mingling 
of  valley  and  upland,  a  meandering  brook  included, 
while  upon  one  side  the  Cannon  river  forms  the 
boundary.  Of  college  structures  there  are  ten  all 
told,  reckoning  both  great  and  small,  not  including 
the  original  one,  the  College  and  the  Ladies'  Hall 
of  the  first  generation,  which,  superseded  in  the 
eighties,  was  sold  and  demolished.  Because  of 
necessity  the  old  observatory  does  duty  as  a  men's 


*Mr.  Wheaton  came  to  Northfield  from  Syracuse,  N.  Y., 
in  1859,  erected  a  flouring  mill,  which  he  managed  until 
it  was  purchased  by  the  Ames  Co.  Following  this  and  until 
his  death,  March  14,  1882,  when  nearly  73,  he  edited  the 
Rice  County  Journal,  the  immediate  predecessor  of  the  North- 
field  News. 


THE  NEW  CENTURY  287 

gymnasium.  An  athletic  field  has  recently  been 
fitted  up  with  all  needed  appliances  for  baseball, 
football  and  other  kinds  of  outdoor  athletics,  with 
funds  donated  by  the  chairman  of  the  board,  Wm. 
H.  Laird,  whose  name  it  also  bears.  Provision  is 
made  for  rooms  and  board  in  three  cottages,  for 
young  women  who  need  to  economize.  Music  Hall 
(the  Seccombe  house  of  the  first  days)  is  tolerable 
only  because  nothing  better  is  at  present  to  be  had. 
Willis  Hall  and  Williams  Hall  are  fairly  well 
adapted  to  their  uses,  though  the  latter  is  sadly 
overcrowded.  The  present  chief  desideratum  for 
Carleton,  the  most  crying  need,  relates  to  a  com- 
modious science  hall  containing  the  best  of  modern 
appointments,  which  for  nearly  two  decades  has 
been  eagerly  longed  for  and  diligently  sought  for, 
but  hitherto  all  in  vain.  As  for  Scoville  Library 
and  Goodsell  Observatory,  they  are  all  that  can  be 
desired.  Gridley  Hall  also  is  the  joy  and  pride  of 
all  connected  with  it.  In  more  ways  than  one  this 
structure  is  easily  the  center  of  college  life,  es- 
pecially upon  the  social  side.  Not  only  are  rooms 
supplied  for  more  than  a  hundred  young  women, 
but  nearly  as  many  young  men  also  gather  at  table 
thrice  a  day  under  the  same  roof.  It  is  here  that 
the  influence  of  Miss  Evans  and  Miss  Lincoln,  with 
other  teachers  and  helpers,  makes  itself  perhaps 
most  deeply  and  widely  felt  for  enjoyment,  and 
also  for  up-building  in  the  best  things.  Scarcely 
a  holiday  or  anniversary  is  suffered  to  pass  by  with- 


288          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

out  some  kind  of  celebration.  Thus  there  are  mu- 
sical evenings,  art  evenings,  Italian  evenings  and 
Madonna  evenings.  Sometimes  a  foreign  postal 
card  is  found  at  every  plate,  or  a  card  bearing  a 
sprig  of  edelweiss,  or  of  ivy  from  some  spot  of 
historic  interest.  Easter  morning,  in  place  of  the 
rising  bell,  a  carol  is  sung,  and  singing. carols,  all 
descend  to  breakfast  with  a  butterfly  or  daffodil 
awaiting  each  one.  Annual  receptions  are  given 
to  the  two  lower  and  to  the  two  higher  classes. 
Other  receptions  are  held  to  which  as  many  as  five 
hundred  cards  of  invitation  are  sent  out.  Still 
further,  monthly  receptions  occur  year  after  year, 
with  the  design  of  bringing  the  community  at  large 
into  acquaintance  and  fellowship  with  the  faculty 
and  students.  Every  autumn  invitations  are  sent 
out  to  all  those  friends  who  are  at  all  likely  to  de- 
sire to  attend.  A  rural  improvement  club  finds  its 
center  and  inspiration  here ;  and  here  a  "  Town  and 
Country  Club  "  was  formed,  designed  to  bring  into 
closer  fellowship  the  women  of  city  and  country: 

Thus  far  in  the  decade  not  many  changes  have 
occurred  in  the  personnel  of  the  teaching  force. 
In  1900,  after  twenty  years  of  service,  Prof.  Arthur 
H.  Pearson  presented  his  resignation,  having  first 
filled  the  chair  of  Chemistry,  Physics  and  Mineral- 
ogy, and  later  that  of  Philosophy  and  Biblical  Liter- 
ature. The  next  year  Rev.  Eugene  W.  Lyman  was 
elected  Professor  of  Philosophy.  In  1902  Miss 
Louisa  H.  Richardson  resigned  her  professorship 


THE  NEW  CENTURY  289 

of  the  Latin  Language  and  Literature,  after  seven- 
teen years'  connection  with  the  Faculty.  At  the 
opening  of  the  century  the  catalogue  contained  the 
names  of  twenty-six  men  and  women  of  whom 
fourteen  were  full  professors.  The  same  year  no 
less  than  413  students  were  found  in  attendance  in 
all  departments;  234  in  the  college  classes  and  101 
in  the  Freshman  class.  It  is  interesting  and  most 
encouraging  to  note  the  steady  growth  in  student 
attendance,  as  is  indicated  by  these  figures  covering 
the  last  three  decades.  If  college  and  academy  are 
included,  the  average  number  catalogued  for  the 
seventies  is  188,  for  the  eighties  is  261  and  for  the 
nineties  278.  The  diminution  in  the  rate  of  in- 
crease in  the  last  period  belongs  wholly  to  the  acad- 
emy, and  is  explained  by  the  higher  standard  of 
admission  in  vogue  and  the  inducements  offered  by 
the  high  schools  of  the  state.  The  corresponding 
figures  for  the  college  proper  are  respectively  20, 
65  and  142;  and  the  average  number  of  graduates 
had  advanced  from  20  through  127  to  192.  At  one 
time  or  another  since  the  doors  of  the  "  American 
House "  were  first  opened  for  would-be  learners, 
just  about  4,000  have  received  instruction.  When 
the  number  of  alumni  had  reached  454  it  was  found 
that  of  these  143  were  educators,  13  were  graduate 
students,  72  were  engaged  in  business,  31  were 
clergymen  or  theological  students,  33  were  lawyers 
or  law  students,  24  were  physicians  or  medical  stu- 
dents, and  4  were  missionaries.  As  showing  that 


290          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

Carleton  is  no  pent-up  Utica,  narrow  in  its  con- 
stituency and  influence,  is  not  provincial  but  cos- 
mopolitan, it  has  occurred  that  at  one  table  in  Grid- 
ley  Hall,  the  familiar  verse,  John  3:11,  beginning 
"  For  God  so  loved  the  world,"  was  recited  in  no 
less  than  fourteen  languages,  to-wit:  English, 
French,  German,  Norwegian,  Swedish,  Arabic, 
Persian,  Syriac,  Turkish,  Armenian,  Ancient  Greek, 
Modern  Greek,  Latin  and  Hebrew;  and  at  another 
table  it  could  have  been  rendered  in  Bohemian, 
Chinese  and  Japanese  in  addition ! !  What  marvels 
of  achievement  have  been  wrought,  what  phenom- 
enal advance  has  been  made  since  the  day  when 
"  the  only  trace  of  a  college  was  found  in  the  desire 
of  the  forty-seven  enrolled  that  term  to  commence 
the  study  of  Latin !  " 

Change  of  Administration. — In  reviewing  the 
happenings  of  this  century  thus  far  there  can  be  no 
question  that  the  most  significant  and  far-reaching 
event  is  found  in  the  retirement  of  Carleton's  only 
president  hitherto,  and  the  installation  of  a  suc- 
cessor. The  term  of  service  is  phenomenally  long, 
almost  three  and  thirty  years,  a  full  third  of  a  cen- 
tury. The  efficiency  displayed  at  many  points  has 
been  marked.  Though  other  gifted  toilers  not  a 
few  have  loyally  and  lovingly  cooperated,  yet  what- 
ever has  been  gathered  of  buildings,  endowment 
and  equipment,  is  owed  in  largest  measure  to  the 
faith  and  skill,  the  enterprise  and  tireless  energy 
and  unconquerable  determination  of  one  man.  No 


THE  NEW  CENTURY  291 

wonder  then  that  for  years,  to  the  board  and  to 
many  more,  the  thought  of  this  leader  laying  down 
his  task  was  next  to  unthinkable.  Nor  did  the 
event  finally  occur  unexpectedly  or  on  a  sudden.  As 
we  have  already  seen,  as  far  back  as  1895  or  when 
a  quarter-century  had  been  rounded  out,  the  resigna- 
tion of  President  Strong  had  been  presented;  but 
after  ample  interchange  of  opinion  and  a  unanimous 
negative  vote,  the  paper  had  been  returned  to  the 
sender.  Five  years  passed  and  the  act  was  repeated, 
with  a  request  that  action  be  taken  by  appointing  a 
committee  to  search  out  another  executive  head  for 
the  institution ;  but  again  nothing  was  done.  Final- 
ly, in  April,  1901,  after  the  canvass  for  $150,000  had 
been  brought  to  a  successful  conclusion,  the  matter, 
was  presented  a  third  time  and  with  such  urgency 
of  appeal  that  June  n  the  board  appointed  five  of 
their  number,  Irwin  Shepard,  L.  H.  Hallock,  D.  P.i 
Jones,  A.  W.  Norton  and  G.  R.  Lyman,  a  commit- 
tee "  to  look  up  and  recommend  a  suitable  man  for 
president  of  the  college  ";  and  they  met  at  once  to 
decide  upon  a  plan  of  action,  formulating  also  a  list 
of  qualifications  which  the  coming  man  must  pos-; 
sess.  Six  months  followed  of  diligent  inquiry  and; 
correspondence,  both  in  Minnesota  and  wherever 
trustworthy  counsel  was  likely  to  be  gained,  by 
which  time  more  than  a  score  of  possible  presidents 
had  been  heard  of  with  several  commended  as 
"  ideal."  At  length  it  became  apparent  that  in 
order  to  act  intelligently  in  this  great  matter,  aj 


292 

visit  to  the  East  was  indispensable.  Not  all  the 
members  of  the  committee  were  able  to  go,  but 
W.  H.  Laird,  the  president  of  the  board,  was  per- 
suaded to  lend  his  assistance,  and  January,  1902, 
the  start  was  made.  Various  college  towns  were 
visited  in  New  England,  and  interviews  were  had 
with  presidents  and  professors,  also  with  some  con- 
cerning whom  testimonials  had  been  received.  But 
no  intelligence  really  satisfactory  was  secured  until 
New  Haven  was  reached  and  counsel  was  taken 
with  President  Hadley,  who  after  speaking  of  the 
great  scarcity  of  men  fit  to  fill  such  a  position  as 
Carleton  offered  and  the  constant  demand  for  them, 
proceeded  to  say  that  there  was  a  certain  minister 
who  had  recently  accepted  a  call  to  a  Bridgeport 
pastorate  (of  whom  the  committee  had  not  hitherto 
heard),  and  who  he  thought  would  prove  to  be 
the  very  man  sought  for,  if  he  could  be  persuaded 
to  accept.  He  was  an  admirable  man,  was  pos- 
sessed of  unusual  gifts  for  organization  and  ad- 
ministration, and  for  these  reasons  he  had  been 
urging  him  to  take  up  executive  college  work.  In- 
deed, the  presidency  of  two  colleges  had  been  of- 
ferd  him  and  had  been  declined.  Others  connected 
with  the  university  who  knew  him  intimately,  gave 
similar  emphatic  testimony.  Therefore  the  commit- 
tee set  forth  for  Bridgeport,  and  in  due  season 
called  upon  Rev.  William  H.  Sallmon,  and  held  an 
interview  which  appears  to  have  been  eminently  sat- 
isfactory to  all  parties  concerned.  Additional  con- 


THE  NEW  CENTURY  293 

firmatory  evidence  was  gathered  in  New  York  City, 
and  then  one  member  of  the  committee  returned  to 
Bridgeport  to  spend  a  Sabbath,  listening  to  Mr. 
Sallmon's  preaching  and  engaging  in  intimate  con- 
versation with  him.  All  that  was  seen  and  heard 
only  served  to  deepen  the  conviction  that  at  last  the 
man  the  committee  had  been  bidden  to  "  look  for  " 
had  been  found. 

As  if  in  preparation  for  the  weighty  responsibili- 
ties he  was  soon  to  be  asked  to  assume,  before 
entering  college  Mr.  Sallmon  had  been  engaged  in 
mercantile  pursuits,  and  had  become  deeply  inter- 
ested in  the  work  of  the -Young  Men's  Christian 
Association.  While  in  college  and  later,  for  three 
years  he  was  general  secretary  of  the  Yale  Y.  M. 
C.  A.,  and  then  for  two  years  had  charge  of  or- 
ganizing international  work  in  the  various  educa- 
tional institutions  of  Australasia.  For  three  years 
he  also  had  charge  of  Bible  study  at  the  students' 
conference  in  Northfield,  Massachusetts.  It  was 
not  long  after  the  matter  of  considering  an  election 
to  this  college  presidency  was  broached  that  a  deep 
impression  was  made  upon  his  mind,  so  that  he 
promised  to  give  to  it  the  most  careful  considera- 
tion and  to  pay  a  visit  for  investigation,  should  the 
board  request.  Returning  to  Minnesota,  the  com- 
mittee reported  their  doings  and  recommended  that 
an  invitation  be  extended  to  Mr.  Sallmon  to  visit 
the  college  with  a  view  of  becoming  its  president. 
February  3,  1902,  such  action  was  taken  and 


294          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

April  18  the  candidate  arrived  in  Minneapolis,  re- 
maining several  days  there  and  in  Northfield,  ask- 
ing multitudinous  questions  and  making  personal 
investigations.  As  the  guest  of  President  and  Mrs. 
Strong  "  he  came  within  the  central  influence  of 
that  faith  and  self-sacrificing  devotion  which  have 
made  Carleton  what  it  is,  and  received  some  of  his 
deepest  and  most  delightful  impressions."  The 
inner  history  of  the  college,  its  founding,  early 
struggles,  vicissitudes  and  triumphs  as  well  as  sub- 
sequent eventful  chapters,  he  found,  to  use  his  own 
words,  "  a  story  of  absorbing  interest."  In  a  letter 
following  his  return  to  the  East  he  wrote :  "  I  as- 
sure you  very  deep  impressions  were  made  upon  me 
by  my  trip."  And  two  weeks  later :  "  The  way  for 
a  decision  is  surely  becoming  clearer  and  the  provi- 
dential leadings  are  as  marked  as  at  the  beginning." 
The  board  met  April  21  and  extended  a  unanimous 
call  which  was  held  under  advisement  until  May  22 
and  then  was  accepted.  However,  engagements  in 
Bridgeport  held  him  until  the  end  of  the  year,  so 
that  the  burdens  of  administration  remained  yet 
longer  upon  the  shoulders  which  already  had  borne 
them  so  long.  December  4  the  trustees  not  only 
voted  a  well-deserved  annuity  to  the  president  now 
soon  to  be  relieved,  but  also  took  concerning  him 
the  following  action  which  was  spread  upon  the 
records : 

"  The  recent  meeting  of  the  trustees  of  Carleton 
College,  which  fitly  recognized  your  unselfish  de- 


THE  NEW  CENTURY  295 

votion  of  a  life  to  its  interests  by  conferring  upon 
you,  on  and  after  your  retirement  from  the  active 
duties  of  the  presidency,  the  designation  of  Emer- 
itus President  of  Carleton  College,  also  appointed 
the  undersigned  as  committee  to  convey  to  you 
and  cause  to  be  entered  upon  the  records  of  the 
corporation  some  expression  of  the  honor  and  af- 
fection in  which  you  are  held,  and  of  the  apprecia- 
tion with  which  the  work  of  your  life  is  regarded 
by  those  officially  connected  with  you  in  it. 

"  You  came  to  the  institution  when  it  had  small 
means,  few  students,  and  its  assets  were  chiefly 
hopes.  To  those  assets  you  joined  your  life,  with 
its  manly  vigor,  its  culture,  and  its  unfaltering  faith 
in  God;  and  of  that  life  you  have  given  without 
measure  or  stint. 

"  In  shaping  the  ideals  of  the  college,  in  selecting 
its  instructors,  and  in  securing  for  it  funds,  you 
have  been  unwearied,  enthusiastic,  energetic  and 
wise.  Your  administration,  extending  over  a  gen- 
eration, has  made  for  the  college  a  worthy  place 
among  higher  institutions  of  learning;  the  friends 
you  have  rallied  to  its  support  have  been  true  and 
loyal;  your  courage  and  faith  have  sustained  the 
hearts  of  your  associates  in  days  of  weakness  and 
fear.  The  group  of  buildings  that  now  form  the 
college-home,  the  endowments  of  the  college  which 
are  the  nucleus  and  promise  of  the  material  future, 
the  graduates  of  the  college  scattered  in  many  lands, 
the  place  Carleton  holds  in  the  hearts  of  the  people 


296          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

of  the  state  and  of  generous  Christian  people 
throughout  the  land ;  these  present-day  assets  of  the 
college — giving  all  generous  praise  to  your  asso- 
ciates and  helpers — are,  in  a  special  sense,  the  work 
of  your  life,  the  fruit  of  your  toil. 

"  We  realize,  in  part,  at  what  cost  they  have 
been  attained;  the  physical  weariness  and  weak- 
ness, the  anxiety  of  mind,  the  burden  of  heart  only 
to  be  endured  by  one  who  knew  he  was  doing  the 
errand  God  had  set  for  him;  the  sacrifice  of 
scholarly  ambitions,  and  of  the  comforts  of  home 
life  for  prolonged  periods  of  time  when  the  interests 
and  life  of  the  institution  seemed  at  stake.  But 
we  are  sure,  that  as  from  this  place  you  look  back 
over  the  work  God  has  given  you  to  do,  and  out 
on  the  results  even  now  so  clearly  visible,  and  on 
to  the  future  of  the  college  which  your  faith  can 
claim,  you  count  it  worth  while. 

"  We  congratulate  you  on  this  worthy  and  noble 
use  of  your  life.  We  are  proud  ourselves  to  have 
been  associated  with  you  in  it,  and  that,  in  the  long 
years  of  this  association,  there  has  been  nothing  to 
cast  doubt  either  upon  the  sincerity  of  your  pur- 
pose or  the  wisdom  of  the  methods  by  which  you 
proposed  its  realization;  that  with  successive 
boards  of  trustees  there  has  ever  been  complete  con- 
fidence and  unbroken  harmony.  We  beg  of  God 
for  you,  honored  friend,  many  years  yet  with  us, 
in  which  your  interest  and  prayer  shall  be  joined 
with  your  influence  for  the  college  and  in  which,  by 


THE  NEW  CENTURY  297 

voice  and  pen,  as  strength  may  be  given  you,  you 
may  serve  the  interests  of  education. 

"  Then,  *  late  may  you  return  into  heaven.' 
"  In  behalf  and  by  vote  of  the  trustees  of  Carle- 
ton  College. 

(Signed)     "  DAVID  C.  BELL, 

"  HARLAN  W.  PAGE, 
"  GEORGE  R.  MERRILL, 

"  Committee." 

This  chapter  must  not  close  without  mentioning 
the  decease  of  two  of  Carleton's  most  loyal  friends 
in  the  early  days.  Rev.  Charles  Seccombe,  born  in 
1817,  died  in  1900;  and  Rev.  J.  R.  Barnes,  who 
though  born  in  1809  survived  until  1901,  thus 
reaching  the  age  of  ninety-two.  And  how  many 
have  passed  away  who  performed  a  worthy  part 
in  laying  the  foundations  of  the  college ;  like  Brown 
and  Burt,  Carleton  and  Miss  Willis,  Dana,  Galpin 
and  Goodsell,  Jones  and  Scriver,  Shedd  and  Shel- 
don, and  a  score  of  others  well  worthy  of  mention. 
Only  a  handful  remain,  like  Hall,  Skinner,  Strong, 
E.  S.  Williams  and  E.  M.  Williams. 


298          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 


CHAPTER  X. 

PRESIDENT   SALLMON  INAUGURATED. 

Though  the  original  design  had  been  to  end  this 
history  with  the  close  of  the  administration  of  Pres- 
ident Strong,  in  view  of  the  notable  event  which 
has  since  occurred  in  connection  with  his  successor 
in  office,  it  would  be  obviously  out  of  place  not  to 
add  a  chapter  telling  briefly  the  story  of  President 
Sallmon's  inauguration. 

The  new  chief  executive  was  on  hand  to  enter 
upon  the  performance  of  his  duties  at  the  opening 
of  the  winter  term  in  January,  1903,  appearing  in 
chapel  to  be  introduced  by  the  president  emeritus  to 
the  assembled  faculty  and  students,  and  to  make  an 
informal  address. 

A  round  of  receptions  followed,  given  by  Mrs. 
Strong,  the  students,  faculty  and  trustees,  and  thus 
almost  at  once,  the  new-comer  was  made  acquainted 
with  his  neighbors  and  constituents.  Several  weeks 
later  Bridgeport  was  revisited  with  a  wedding 
ceremony  in  view,  in  order  to  make  complete  the 
preparation  for  the  new  and  onerous  duties,  by 
taking  to  himself  a  gifted  and  gracious  helpmeet 
in  the  person  of  Miss  Alice  Bussey  Trubee.  Mean- 
time preparations  were  in  progress  for  the  in- 


WILLIAM 


SALLMON. 


PRESIDENT  SALLMON  INAUGURATED       299 

auguration  exercises,  for  which  May  6  was  the  day 
selected. 

But  before  proceeding  to  present  in  outline  the 
doings  of  that  notable  day  in  the  history  of  the 
college,  it  will  add  both  interest  and  emphasis  if  it 
is  set  in  contrast  with  the  "  inauguration  "  of  the 
first  president  almost  three-and-thirty  years  before. 
And  it  cannot  but  be  profitable  to  re-read  just  here 
the  narrative  of  that  event  as  given  upon  a  former 
page.  In  October  of  1870  the  institution  was  as 
yet  scarcely  more  than  a  name,  a  desire,  a  hope,  a 
purpose,  was  at  the  best  a  puny,  insignificant  and 
unpromising  affair.  The  state  itself  was  but  a 
dozen  years  old  and  was  as  yet  for  the  most  part 
an  unbroken  wilderness.  Minneapolis  was  incor- 
porated only  three  years  before,  while  St.  Anthony 
had  still  two  more  years  of  separate  existence.  The 
Congregational  churches  of  Minnesota  numbered 
but  75,  more  than  half  were  receiving  home  mis- 
sionary aid,  only  a  few  had  more  than  100  mem- 
bers, and  the  total  membership  scarcely  exceeded 
3,000.  To-day  the  Twin  Cities  alone  have  almost 
half  as  many  organizations,  more  than  twice  as 
many  members,  and  no  doubt  more  than  ten  times 
the  financial  ability. 

Coming  now  to  Northfield,  a  campus  had  been 
secured  but  was  entirely  unoccupied,  except  that 
one  crumbling  foundation  was  in  place.  One  build- 
ing only  was  in  use,  a  transmogrified  hotel.  Pay- 
ment of  salaries  was  seriously  behind,  and  other 


300          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

debts  were  pressing.  Pledges  had  been  made,  but 
the  probability  of  payment  was  slight  because  so 
many  deemed  utter  failure  to  the  enterprise  cer- 
tainly in  store.  A  recent  canvass  among  the 
churches  for  funds  had  resulted  in  next  to  nothing. 
Only  about  three-score  students  in  attendance,  only 
about  a  dozen  in  the  classical  course,  and  most  re- 
maining but  a  term  or  two.  And  this  was  the 
"  College  "  at  the  end  of  five  years  from  the  pas- 
sage of  the  resolution  which  brought  it  into  exist- 
ence. Mr.  Goodsell  had  died  a  year  before. 
Through  weary  months  diligent  search  had  been 
made  for  a  president.  Several  had  been  approached 
in  Iowa,  Illinois,  Ohio  and  New  England,  but  none 
was  found  who  would  give  the  question  of  accept- 
ance a  serious  thought.  And  the  one  who  was 
finally  fixed  upon  as  a  last  resort,  or  forlorn  hope, 
happened  to  be  resident  in  the  near  neighborhood, 
but  was  so  seriously  handicapped  by  an  optical  in- 
firmity of  long  standing,  as  just  now  to  feel  com- 
pelled to  retire  from  the  pastorate.  And  when  the 
place  was  offered  him,  not  a  few  of  his  best  friends 
counseled  him  to  decline  the  proffered  "  honor." 

Coming  next  to  President  Strong's  induction  into 
office.  One  day  the  board  had  met  to  hear  his 
decision,  and  the  next  the  state  association  was  to 
meet  in  annual  session.  The  pastors  and  delegates 
heard  that  a  president  had  been  secured,  and  in  the 
afternoon  the  chosen  one  was  introduced  to  the 
assembly,  and  was  called  upon  for  an  address,  with 


PRESIDENT  SALLMON  INAUGURATED       301 

no  time  afforded  for  preparation.  Responding,  he 
spoke  for  about  half  an  hour  from  a  heart  heavily 
burdened,  but  trustful  and  hopeful.  Upon  closing 
he  announced  a  pledge  of  $4,000  from  Mr.  Good- 
sell's  family,  to  which  Rev.  E.  M.  Williams  added 
$6,000,  whereupon  the  brethren  present  proceeded 
with  greatest  enthusiasm  to  add  more  than  $6,000 
to  that  sum;  after  which  Father  Hall  offered 
prayer,  and  the  "  inauguration  "  was  complete.  For 
some  reason,  the  band  was  absent  and  no  procession 
was  formed.  Not  a  cap  and  gown  appeared  in  all 
that  assembly  in  the  Old  Brown  Church.  Not  a 
college  president  or  professor,  from  East  or  West, 
honored  the  occasion  with  his  presence.  The  only 
dignitaries  on  hand  were  two  or  three  missionary 
secretaries  from  the  East  who  came  to  attend  the 
state  conference.  If  any  excited  and  enthusiastic 
spirit  had  arisen  in  that  audience  and  uttered  the 
prediction  that  within  a  generation  such  marvels  of 
progress  would  be  achieved,  for  his  folly  he  would 
unanimously  have  been  pronounced  a  fit  object  for 
ridicule,  or  at  least  for  compassion. 

Returning  to  May  6,  1903 :  Even  before  the  day 
selected  had  arrived,  by  the  score  and  hundred, 
friends  began  to  pour  in  from  near  and  from  far. 
The  season  of  the  year  was  well  chosen  and  the 
weather  was  perfection  itself.  The  educational  in- 
stitutions of  the  state  were  generally  represented, 
including  the  university,  colleges,  normal  schools 
and  academies,  with  quite  a  number  coming  from 


302          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

other  states.  St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis  were  on 
hand  through  their  worthiest  citizens  by  the  train- 
load;  while  as  for  Northfield,  it  was  gorgeous  in 
gala  attire,  upon  the  business  streets  almost  every 
show-window  being  lavishly  decorated  with  the 
Carleton  colors  surrounding  the  portrait  of  the  new 
president.  The  entire  day  was  filled  to  overflowing 
with  a  great  variety  of  gatherings  and  exercises. 

First,  at  nine  o'clock  came  a  students'  meeting 
in  the  chapel,  with  addresses  from  representatives 
of  the  various  classes,  alumni  and  others,  with  col- 
lege songs  and  college  cheers  abundantly  inter- 
mingled. A  reunion  of.  the  alumni  followed  in  the 
Library.  At  eleven  a  reception  was  held  in  Grid- 
ley  Hall,  by  the  president  of  the  board,  the  president 
emeritus  and  President  Sallmon;  with  an  excellent 
luncheon  accompanying.  All  these,  however,  were 
but  as  preliminaries  to  the  climax  of  interest,  the 
imposing  inaugural  ceremonies. 

At  i  p.  m.  a  procession  was  formed  upon  three 
sides  of  the  campus,  with  Professor  Goodhue  as 
efficient  marshal.  The  St.  Olaf  band  of  50  pieces 
led  the  way,  filling  the  air  with  inspiring  music, 
followed  by  several  hundreds  in  this  order:  Stu- 
dents of  the  academy  by  classes,  freshmen,  sopho- 
mores, juniors,  and  seniors,  each  one  wearing  class- 
colors  and  waving  a  flag;  alumni,  superintendents 
of  schools,  clergymen,  city  officials,  presidents  and 
other  representatives  of  colleges ;  Governor  of  Min- 
nesota, president  and  president  emeritus.  A  large 


PRESIDENT  SALLMON  INAUGURATED       303 

number  marched  clad  in  the  academic  cap  and 
gown.  The  line  of  march  was  southward  along 
College  avenue  to  a  point  directly  in  front  of  the 
Congregational  church,  and  thence  westward  across 
the  school  grounds,  with  a  halt  when  the  head  of 
the  procession  reached  the  church  steps.  Every 
house  along  the  route  traversed  was  decorated  pro- 
fusely with  college  colors.  By  the  happy  thought 
of  Supt.  Edgar  George,  the  pupils  of  the  public 
schools  were  dismissed  in  season  to  form  two  lines, 
one  on  either  side  of  the  procession  as  it  crossed 
the  ground.  Two  had  marched  abreast,  but  now 
the  lines  separated,  facing  each  other,  and  with  the 
dignitaries  in  the  lead,  in  reverse  order  the  church 
was  entered  and  occupied,  to  the  notes  of  a  fine 
processional  rendered  upon  the  organ  by  Prof. 
W.  L.  Gray.  Upon  the  capacious  platform  were 
seated  the  faculty,  trustees,  speakers  and  attendants 
especially  invited  from  abroad. 

After  the  invocation  and  a  hymn,  these  addresses 
of  welcome  were  given:  G.  R.  Lyman,  chairman 
of  the  inauguration  committee,  presiding:  Irwin 
Shepard,  representing  the  board  of  trustees;  Prof. 
E.  W.  Lyman,  speaking  for  the  faculty;  A.  J. 
Nason,  for  the  alumni;  and  President  Cyrus 
Northrup  bringing  the  greetings  of  the  State  Uni- 
versity. Rev.  Anson  Phelps  Stokes,  Jr.,  secretary 
of  Yale  University,  followed  with  an  address  set- 
ting forth  the  essential  distinction  between  a  col- 
lege and  a  university;  and  naming  three  elements 


304          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

which  make  up  the  life  of  a  Christian  college.  Next 
came  the  presentation  of  the  college  charter  and 
keys  by  Wm.  H.  Laird,  president  of  the  board, 
and  their  reception  by  President  Sallmon,  followed 
by  his  inaugural  address,  and  the  prayer  of  in- 
stallation offered  by  President  Strong.  Two  hymns 
were  sung,  written  expressly  for  the  occasion  by 
Prof.  George  Huntington,  which  also  will  be  found 
upon  a  later  page. 

Especial  mention  must  be  made  of  the  next  item 
in  the  day's  program,  which  followed  almost  im- 
mediately after  the  close  of  the  exercises  in  the 
church.  For  years  the  plan  has  been  diligently 
pushed  of  securing  for  the  campus  specimens  of 
every  tree  which  will  survive  in  the  Minnesota 
climate  and  soil;  and  already  no  less  than  seventy- 
seven,  out  of  a  possible  one  hundred,  are  to  be 
found  upon  these  sixty-five  acres.  Therefore  it  was 
but  natural  that  a  wholesale  tree-planting  should 
be  planned,  to  provide  a  living  and  lasting  monu- 
ment of  this  capital  event  in  Carleton's  career.  On 
either  side  of  the  walk  leading  from  Willis  Hall  to 
Gridley  Hall  two  dozen  white  elms  had  been  put 
in  place,  each  in  a  hole  partly  filled,  and  a  shovel 
lying  hard  by.  Also  twenty-four  persons  of  some 
note  had  been  selected,  each  one  assigned  to  a  par- 
ticular tree  and  asked  to  cast  in  a  few  shovelfuls 
of  earth,  attaching  also  a  card  bearing  his  name, 
which  card  with  the  number  of  the  tree  correspond- 
ing will  be  carefully  preserved  for  the  instruction 


PRESIDENT  SALLMON  INAUGURATED       305 

of  generations  to  come.  Thus  a  Cyrus  Northrop 
tree  will  long  abide,  an  A.  P.  Stokes,  Jr.,  tree,  an 
arboreal  Irwin  Shepard,  J.  J.  Dow,  first  graduate, 
etc.  But  more,  while  this  performance  was  in  prog- 
ress in  the  presence  of  a  throng  of  spectators,  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Goodsell  Observatory  two 
white  oaks  were  also  planted,  the  one  by  President 
Strong  and  the  other  by  President  Sallmon. 

An  inter-class  track  and  field-meet  soon  followed 
upon  the  Laird  Field.  In  the  evening  a  reception 
was  held  in  Gridley  Hall  by  President  and  Mrs. 
Sallmon,  with  a  general  invitation  extended  to  the 
public,  for  hours  the  spacious  halls  and  parlors  were 
thronged,  the  College  Glee  Club  supplying  excellent 
music,  and  Prof.  Huntington  reading  an  Inaugural 
Ode,  which  traced  the  progress  of  learning  from 
the  Old  World  to  the  New,  and  from  the  Atlantic 
seaboard  to  the  Mississippi  valley,  with  the  inspir- 
ing rise  and  progress  of  Carleton  as  the  objective 
point.  Last  of  all  came  a  torchlight  procession  of. 
the  students  and  an  illumination  of  the  campus,.' 
with  Gridley  Hall  all  glorious  with  lights  gleaming 
from  every  window. 

Thus  ended  a  most  impressive  and  auspicious' 
day,  with  nothing  from  first  to  last  occurring  to 
mar  the  keen  enjoyment  of  those  fortunate  enough 
to  be  found  in  attendance  to  listen  and  behold. 

Some  extracts  follow  from  the  address  of  Presi- 
dent Northrop,  a  considerable  portion  of  President 
Sallmon's  Inaugural,  with  omissions  indicated  by 


306          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

asterisks,  the  two  hymns  of  Professor  Huntington, 
and  the  closing  lines  of  his  Inaugural  Ode. 

Said  President  Northrop: 

"  I  am  here  to-day  to  express  to  the  president  the 
voice  of  the  State  University.  The  State  Uni- 
versity welcomes  him  heartily.  But  I  wish  to  speak 
especially  for  myself  and  from  my  own  heart  to 
give  this  Yale  man  a  Yale  man's  hearty  welcome 
and  blessing,  and  as  I  met  him  when  he  first  came 
to  the  state  and  talked  with  him,  and  assured  him  of 
my  hearty  cooperation  and  extended  to  him  my 
heart  and  hand  to  do  everything  that  is  possible  to 
help  him  in  the  work  of  making  Carleton  College 
more  powerful  and  beneficial,  I  am  here  to-day  to 
add  a  final  word  of  welcome.  *  *  *  I  hope  the 
old  friends  of  Carleton  who  have  been  so  faithful 
in  the  past,  who  have  done  so  much  for  it,  who 
have  donated  so  liberally,  will  none  of  them  cease 
to  be  friends  of  Carleton  and  I  hope  that  the  new 
friends  as  well  as  the  old  of  Carleton  will  so  con- 
tinue their  help  and  assistance  that  even  larger  and 
better  results  may  be  had  in  the  future,  and  that 
you  will  aid  in  the  work  to  be  done  so  that  all  the 
boys  and  girls  of  Minnesota  who  come  here  to  be 
brought  under  the  influence  of  this  college  can  fully 
reap  the  benefit  of  the  personal  close  relation  with 
the  president  and  the  faculty.  I  hope  that  your 
buildings  will  become  more  numerous  and  your 
facilities  for  good  work  may  become  greater  than 
they  have  been  in  the  past.  I  have  no  jealousy  of 


PRESIDENT  SALLMON  INAUGURATED       307 

any  greatness  that  this  college  may  attain  and  I  am 
sure  I  come  to  this  institution  with  the  best  wishes 
for  it,  and  if  my  brother  here  shall  be  the  agent 
through  whom  the  Lord's  blessing  is  to  come  to  you 
and  to  this  college,  no  one  will  feel  more  grateful 
for  it  than  myself.  *  *  *  " 

Said  President  Sallmon: 

"  We  have  assembled  here  to-day  in  keeping  with 
a  time-honored  custom.  The  personnel  of  the  as- 
sembly, and  the  robes  which  are  in  evidence  indicate 
that  the  function  is  of  an  academic  character.  The 
place  where  we  are  gathered,  dedicated  to  the  wor- 
ship of  Almighty  God,  bears  witness  that  it  is  con- 
nected with  the  Christian  religion. 

"  The  installation  of  a  new  head,  and  the  inaugu- 
ration of  a  new  era,  is  such  an  important  event  in 
the  life  of  a  college  that  among  the  varied  exercises 
arranged  for  the  occasion  is  the  inaugural  address, 
in  which  the  new  leader  is  expected  to  declare  the 
faith  that  is  in  him,  and  possibly  to  unfold  his  policy 
for  the  future  conduct  of  the  institution,  if  he  be 
fortunate  enough  to  have  a  policy  to  unfold. 
*  *  *  The  outline  of  the  program  suggests  that 
there  are  certain  relationships  into  which  the  presi- 
dent of  a  college  enters.  These  relationships  are 
varied  in  character,  they  are  mutual,  they  include 
many  interests,  and  they  are  subject  to  such  differ- 
ences of  opinion  and  interpretation  that  a  considera- 
tion of  some  of  them  should  prove  valuable  to  us 


308          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

all,  and  will  afford  sufficient  opportunity  for  a  dec- 
laration of  faith  and  purpose.    *    *    * 

"  The  president  is  the  executive  head,  and  in  a 
large  measure  the  framer  of  the  institution's  policy. 
His  first  relationship  is  with  his  board  of  trustees. 
In  their  hands  is  the  power  of  election,  and  to  them 
he  is  responsible,  and  must  by  his  career  justify 
their  choice.  The  trustees  are  the  pledged  guard- 
ians of  the  institution's  highest  interests.  They  are 
more  than  managers,  they  are  stewards  of  a  sacred 
trust.  It  devolves  upon  them  to  study  the  needs  of 
the  college  intelligently;  to  plan,  by  personal  sub- 
scription, by  bequests,  by  canvass,  and  by  other 
means  to  procure  adequate  funds  and  equipment. 
In  all  of  these  matters  the  president  should  cooper- 
ate to  the  extent  of  his  ability,  but  he  can  render 
his  best  service  to  the  college  by  being  relieved  as 
far  as  possible  from  the  direct  initiative  and  burden 
of  the  financial  question.  The  president  is  the  con- 
necting link  between  the  college-in-action  and  the 
trustees.  He  should  keep  them  fully  informed  of 
its  progress  and  needs ;  he  should  spend  much  of  his 
time  at  the  college  studying  its  intellectual  inter- 
ests, strengthening  the  weak  places,  stimulating  the 
instructors  by  his  presence  in  their  classrooms,  and 
inspiring  them  by  personal  contact.  He  should  be 
free  for  some  teaching  in  his  own  department  both 
for  his  own  sake  and  for  that  of  the  students.  He 
should  have  such  control  of  his  time  as  to  be  able 
to  appear  in  public  in  such  gatherings  and  in  such 


PRESIDENT  SALLMON  INAUGURATED       309 

capacities  as  will  be  for  the  best  interests  of  the  col- 
lege. The  trustees  should  guard  their  president 
from  becoming  merely  a  financial  agent,  and  should 
do  their  utmost  to  make  it  possible  for  him  to  carry 
out  his  plans  for  the  expansion  of  the  institution. 

"  The  second  relationship  which  the  president 
sustains  is  that  to  his  faculty.  The  trustees  are 
the  guardians  of  the  college  in  its  extensive  inter- 
ests, and  the  faculty  under  the  leadership  of  the 
president,  are  the  trustees  of  its  intensive  interests. 
*  *  *  jke  teacher  must  not  only  know  his  sub- 
ject but  he  must  know  how  to  teach  it.  Again,  the 
teacher  must  be  able  to  impart  inspiration.  If  he 
can  impart  information,  and  is  in  love  with  his  sub- 
ject, if  he  has  high  ideals,  and  a  genuine,  unas- 
sumed  sympathy  with  young  people,  and  delights  to 
pour  out  his  knowledge  to  enrich  and  to  form,  and 
not  simply  to  inform  his  students,  he  represents 
the  inspiring  type.  With  such  a  corps  the  president 
must  seek  to  surround  himself,  and  having  found 
them,  he  is  to  be  their  guide  and  counsellor,  and 
to  see  to  it  that  the  conditions  precedent  to  effective 
work  are  established,  that  efficiency  within  the  de- 
partment is  maintained,  and  that  that  harmony  of 
relationship  exists  which  is  indispensable  to  cooper- 
ation. *  *  * 

"  The  next  relationship  of  the  president  is  his 
relation  to  his  students.  The  college  exists  for  the 
students,  for  their  individual  development,  and  for 
their  preparation  for  lifework.  The  courses  of 


310  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

study  are  planned  with  these  objects  in  view  and 
the  whole  life  of  the  place  should  tend  towards  this 
same  end.  Self-government,  not  paternal  govern- 
ment, should  be  the  key-note,  and  each  student 
placed  upon  his  own  honor  and  personal  responsi- 
bility should  be  expected  to  deport  himself  accord- 
ing to  the  best  standards  of  conduct  that  are  main- 
tained among  men  and  women  of  refinement  and 
culture  in  Christian  communities.  *  *  *  The 
environment  should  be  such  that  the  student  will 
learn  that  work  is  his  birthright,  and  that  hard  work 
is  honorable.  He  should  be  put  in  the  way  of  gain- 
ing that  mental  equipment  which  comes  from  con- 
centration and  perseverence,  and  the  mastery  of 
some  subject.  Culture,  it  is  true,  comes  from  know- 
ing something  of  the  best  that  others  have  thought 
and  said,  but  culture  blossoms  into  manhood  and 
womanhood  when  one  begins  to  think  his  own 
thoughts  through  clearly  and  to  put  them  into  his 
own  words.  *  *  * 

"  The  next  relationship  of  the  president  is  that 
to  the  alumni,  and  former  students  who  are  not 
graduates.  They  compose  a  body  who  may  be  of 
great  service  to  the  college.  They  know  the  needs 
of  their  alma  mater,  and  should,  as  her  debtors, 
use  all  their  influence  to  send  to  her  students,  money 
for  endowment,  books  for  the  library,  equipment 
for  the  laboratories  and  other  departments,  and 
such  aid  in  erecting  necessary  buildings  as  it  may  be 
in  their  power  to  secure.  The  alumni  in  their  dif- 


PRESIDENT  SALLMON  INAUGURATED       311 

ferent  pursuits  are  exemplifying  the  spirit  of  the 
college  which  fostered  them.  Of  the  more  than 
400  who  have  graudated  and  of  the  3,000  others 
who  have  studied  here,  many  hold  positions  of 
great  influence,  and  some  have  reached  places  of 
eminence.  To  all  of  these  as  well  as  to  those  in 
humbler  spheres  the  college  looks  for  loyalty  and 
support. 

"  Another  important  relationship  is  that  between 
the  college  and  the  community  in  which  it  exists. 
Carleton  can  never  forget  the  generosity  of  the 
people  of  Northfield  when  in  1866,  the  inhabitants 
numbering  about  1,500,  there  was  given  $20,000 
for  the  founding  of  the  institution,  and  the  record 
shows  that  at  other  times,  especially  during  the 
crucial  period  in  1870,  there  have  been  similar  ex- 
hibitions of  devotion  and  self-sacrifice.  The  col- 
lege owes  the  community  a  great  debt,  and  it  can 
best  discharge  that  debt  by  manifesting  interest  in 
the  welfare  of  the  city,  providing  lectures,  musical 
entertainments,  and  certain  library  facilities,  by 
patronizing  home  industries,  and  by  cooperating 
with  every  organization  and  movement  which 
makes  for  the  betterment  of  the  people  intellectu- 
ally, materially  and  spiritually.  *  *  * 

"  But  the  obligations  are  mutual  and  the  college 
has  also  a  right  to  expect  something  from  the  com- 
munity. This  beautiful  town  is  largely  what  it  is 
because  of  the  existence  of  the  educational  institu- 
tions, St.  Olaf  and  Carleton,  in  its  midst.  Take 


312          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

from  Northfield  its  academic  atmosphere,  its  public- 
spirited  faculties,  its  families  who  have  moved  here 
to  educate  their  children,  and  others  who  have  set- 
tled here  attracted  by  what  the  colleges  mean ;  take 
away  the  body  of  students,  pull  down  the  buildings, 
and  now  close  your  eyes  and  imagine  what  the 
place  would  be  without  them.  The  citizens,  as  a 
matter  of  pride,  of  profit,  and  of  policy,  if  not  as  a 
matter  of  duty,  should  see  to  it  that  the  interests  of 
the  institution  are  promoted  in  every  possible  way. 
There  is  need  of  continued  liberality  in  gifts  of 
money  and  of  property.  *  *  *  And  the  college 
has  a  right  to  expect  that  all  citizens  will  cooperate 
do  make  the  city  a  safe  and  wholesome  place  for 
these  young  men  and  women  who  gather  to  be  edu- 
cated here.  In  a  very  real  and  vital  sense  the  com- 
munity is  a  trustee  of  the  college. 

"  There  is,  or  there  ought  to  be,  also,  a  close  con- 
nection between  the  college  and  the  church,  espe- 
cially the  Congregational  churches  of  the  state.  The 
college  is  the  child  of  the  General  Conference  of 
Minnesota,  and  in  the  early  days,  the  members  not 
only  gave  $10,000  towards  a  'Founders'  Fund,'  but 
they  also  gave  freely  of  time,  energy  and  self-sacri- 
ficing devotion.  *  *  * 

"  We  have  now  passed  the  first  mile-stone  in  the 
history  of  Carleton  College.  The  story  of  its  origin 
and  progress  reads  like  a  romance,  and  many  of 
the  incidents  recorded  of  zeal,  self-sacrifice  and  suf- 
fering are  like  leaves  taken  from  '  The  Acts  of  the 


PRESIDENT  SALLMON  INAUGURATED       313 

Apostles.'  The  story  of  that  memorable  installa- 
tion nearly  thirty-three  years  ago  is  a  thrilling  one, 
and  there  are  those  still  among  us  who  can  narrate 
from  memory  the  accompanying  scenes.  The  young 
president  called  upon  for  an  impromptu  inaugural 
was  cordially  and  devoutly  inducted  into  office,  and 
from  that  time  to  this  has  devoted  the  best  of  his 
life  to  achieving  the  wonderful  results  which  our 
eyes  behold.  By  the  favor  of  a  kind  Providence 
he  is  here  to-day  to  share  in  these  exercises  which 
mark  the  beginning  of  a  new  era,  and  we  are 
cheered  by  the  prospect  of  that  encouragement  and 
service  which,  as  he  lives  among  us,  he  shall  con- 
tinue to  give  to  the  college  so  dear  to  his  heart. 

"  The  past  with  its  forming  traditions  and  rela- 
tionships is  behind  us  and  we  are  living  in  the  pres- 
ent with  its  pressing  needs,  its  calls  for  service,  its 
glorious  privileges  and  opportunities.  Our  eyes  are 
toward  the  future  with  its  untried  experiences.  May 
the  Carleton  of  the  future  fulfill  the  hopes  and 
answer  the  prayers  of  the  fathers  who  planted  it. 
The  seal  of  the  college  shows  an  open  Bible  casting 
its  rays  upon  other  books  labelled  '  The  Good,  the 
True,  and  the  Beautiful/  Above  is  the  motto, 
'  Declaratio  Sermonum  Tuorum  Illuminat,'  *  The 
opening  of  Thy  word  giveth  light.'*  So  as  we 


*  This  seal  has  an  interesting  history.  It  was  designed  by 
Rev.  A.  K.  Packard,  a  son-in-law  of  Mr.  Carleton,  and  one 
of  the  first  trustees  of  the  college,  who  was  chairman  of 
a  committee  to  recommend  a  seal.  Its  idea  in  general  he 
reported  the  day  that  Mr.  Strong  accepted  the  presidency. 


314  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

move  forward  adapting  ourselves  to  the  new  condi- 
tions of  our  time,  and  to  the  new  expressions  in  and 
by  which  truth  is  stated  and  embodied,  may  new 
light  from  the  source  of  all  truth  illumine  our  path- 
way, and  may  the  benediction  of  God  Almighty, 
Father,  Son  and  Holy  Spirit  rest  upon  all  the  new 
relationships  into  which  we  enter." 

FROM  THE  INAUGURAL  ODE. 

And  our  fair  Carleton — who  for  us  will  trace 

Her  lineage  and  race? 

She  wears',  in  truth, 

The  loveliness  of  a  perennial  youth. 

Vigor  is  hers,  and  hope;  and  joyous,  buoyant  life 

In  her  is  rife. 

Yet  more  than  these  doth  she  possess 

As  earnest  of  success. 

She  hath  the  gift  mature, 

To  seek  the  things  that  shall  endure. 

The  discussion  of  the  trustees  that  morning  upon  the  Chris- 
tian religion  as  an  essential  element  of  education  had  sug- 
gested the  thought  which  when  presented  was  immediately 
approved  by  the  board,  who  authorized  him  to  procure  the 
seal  as  soon  as  possible.  He  had  selected  for  the  motto  the 
first  clause  of  Psalm  119:130,  but  preferred  the  Latin  form, 
if  the  word  "opening"  proved  the  correct  rendering  of  the 
Latin  Vulgate.  At  Amherst.  when  he  consulted  Dr.  Tyler, 
no  copy  of  the  Vulgate  could  be  found ;  so  he  went  to  Har- 
vard, where  were  thirteen  copies,  and  to  Dr.  Ezra  Abbot, 
to  ascertain  whether  his1  own  translation  were  allowable.  Dr. 
Abbot  referred  to  several  commentators  and  replied  that 
while  authorities  varied,  Mr.  Packard  would  be  safe  in 
using  his  own  word ;  so  the  seal  was  cut,  and  both  in  idea 
and  execution  was  so  admirable  that  the  seal-cutter  gave  it 
a  very  conspicuous  place  in  the  center  of  his1  collection  shown 
at  the  Centennial  Exposition.  A  certain  Baptist  Theo- 
logical Seminary  was  so  pleased  with  it  ^  that  the  trustees 
adopted  it  as  their  own,  without  ever  asking  any  "leave  to 
print." 


PRESIDENT  SALLMON  INAUGURATED       315 

Her  nascent  powers  do  seem,  though  incomplete, 

For  great  achievement  meet 

Not  walls  of  stone, 

Nor  fair  green  acres,  freshly  grown, 

Nor  gold,  nor  aught 

That  may  with  gold  be  bought, 

Her   substance  doth  comprise, 

But  great  ideas,  high  aim  and  purpose  wise. 

Her  masters  are  the  ancients  of  renown, 

Men  of  the  laurel  crown 

And  glorious  name. 

Poet  and  orator  of  deathless  fame, 

And  scribe  and  sage 

Of  many  a  realm  and  age, 

About   her   throng, 

To  pay  her  court,  and  bring 

Their  splendid  offering 

Of  wisdom,  eloquence  and  song. 

So,  royally,  though  late, 

Comes  Carleton  to  her  birthright  and  estate. 

Not  a  pert  parvenu, 

In  fashions  new 

Fantastically  dressed, 

But  the  creation  and  bequest 

Of  the  world's  largest  thought 

To   fresh   expression   brought. 

'HITHERTO  HATH  THE  LORD  HELPED  US." 

Father,  with  reverent  souls  we  stand, 

And  grateful  praise,  to  own 
The  goodness  all  our  good  hath  planned, 
The  safe,  sure  leading  of  Thy  hand 

In  paths  to  us  unknown. 

We  bless  Thee  for  the  toilsome  years, 

And  all  our  toil  hath  brought, 
For  brightening  hopes  and  fading  fears, 
As  Faith  her  glad  memorial  rears 

To  Him  who  with  us  wrought. 


316  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

What  e'er  of  wisdom  or  of  skill 

Our  human  tasks  have  shown, 
The  nobler  thought,  the  generous  thrill, 
The  dauntless  and  all-conquering  will, 

These  are  from  Thee  alone. 

Take  that  is  thine,  and  show  this  day 

The  glory  of  Thy  face. 
Whom  Thou  dost  call  teach  Thou  Thy  way; 
On  him  in  benediction  lay 

The  unction  of  Thy  grace. 

"SPEAK  UNTO  THE  CHILDREN  OF  ISRAEL  THAT 

THEY  GO  FORWARD." 
The  voice  that  sounded  from  above, 

Upon  the  Red  Sea  shore, 
To  bid  the  halting  legions  move, 

And  cleft  a  highway  o'er, 
For  us  the  waters  doth  divide, 

Our  destined  path  to  show, 
High  walls  it  with  the  rifted  tide, 

And  bids  us  forward  go. 

Forward !  The  past  behind  us  lies, 

With  all  its  good  and  ill; 
Its  blessings1  but  God's  promises 

The  future  shall  fulfill. 
What  lies  before  we  see  'not  yet ; 

Enough  that  He  doth  know, 
As  toward  our  hopes  our  face  we  set, 

And  forward,  onward  go. 

Forward,   new   victories  to  gain, 

New  regions  to  possess, 
More  toil,  more  sheaves  of  precious  grain, 

More  power  the  world  to  bless. 
Where'er  the  whitening  harvests  stand, 

And  hot  suns  blaze  and  glow, 
There  we  behold  our  Promised  Land 

And   forward,    forward   go. 


CAM-ETON'S  BUILDERS  317 


CHAPTER  XI. 
CARLETON'S  BUILDERS. 

No  history  of  this  or  any  similar  institution 
would  be  at  all  adequate,  would  be  defective  at  a 
fatal  point,  which  failed  to  make  some  fitting  and 
appreciative  mention  of  that  goodly  company  of 
men  and  women  to  whom  is  really  owed  all  it  is 
and  all  it  has  achieved.  The  grounds,  the  buildings, 
the  vested  funds  are  next  to  nothing  without  the 
personalities  behind  them,  which  wield  and  apply 
them  to  their  appointed  uses ;  without  the  faith  and 
love,  the  enthusiasm  and  energy  which  impart  vital 
and  vivifying  force.  Only  a  small  fraction  of 
these  worthy  ones  can  be  named  here,  a  few  scores 
from  hundreds.  By  no  means  all  are  in  the  least 
known  to  the  public.  The  many  occupied  but 
humble  stations,  their  parts  were  played  away  from 
the  common  gaze  and  their  contributions  were  rela- 
tively so  insignificant  as  not  to  have  been  men- 
tioned, either  in  print  or  public  address.  In  the 
aggregate,  however,  these  same  multitudinous,  well- 
nigh  innumerable  "  little  things "  are  great  and 
mighty  among  the  causative  forces  which  have  been 
working  together  for  nearly  a  half-century  to  pro- 
duce the  visible,  tangible,  very  admirable  result 
known  as  Carleton  College.  Not  in  the  least  for- 


318          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

getting,  on  the  contrary  duly  appreciating  this  prime 
fact  in  the  case,  it  is  yet  necessary  to  content  our- 
selves with  naming  a  few  from  the  many  toilers,  as 
specimens  taken  from  a  legion  every  whit  as  praise- 
worthy, lacking  not  at  all  in  disposition,  but  only 
in  ability  and  opportunity.  And  these  more  notable 
ones  (not  more  noble)  may  be  separated  into  these 
several  classes:  The  trustees,  the  instructors,  the 
donors  of  considerable  sums,  and  certain  others 
who  from  first  to  last  in  a  great  variety  of  ways 
have  served  the  college  to  good  purpose. 

The  Trustees. — This  body  of  men  constitutes  the 
legal  corporation,  holds  and  administers  the  prop- 
erty, whether  vested  funds  or  real  estate,  and  there- 
fore has  mainly  to  do  with  outside  matters,  business 
affairs,  but  next  to  nothing  with  internal  regula- 
tions like  courses  of  study,  instruction  and  disci- 
pline. Nor  is  a  position  upon  the  board  one  merely 
or  mainly  honorary,  a  sinecure  bestowed  as  a  com- 
pliment or  held  as  a  badge  of  superior  worth.  Far, 
far,  indeed,  from  it.  Rather,  deep  thinking  and 
careful  planning  are  imperative,  business  capacity 
and  vigor  of  the  highest  order  must  often  be  at 
hand,  if  an  institution  of  learning  is  to  grow  and 
prosper,  with  no  inconsiderable  expenditure  of  time 
included.  Yes,  and  themselves  commonly  called  to 
set  the  example  of  frequent  and  liberal  giving.  As 
H.  W.  Page,  one  of  these  burden-bearers  who  there- 
fore knows  whereof  he  affirms,  expresses  it :  "  You 
must  not  think  that  the  position  of  a  trustee  costs 


CARLETON'S  BUILDERS  319 

nothing.  Besides  time  and  thought,  the  amount  of 
money  reaches  a  goodly  sum.  Of  the  first  $21,000 
(raised  in  Northfield  to  secure  the  location  of  the 
college)  more  than  forty  per  cent.,  nearly  $9,000, 
was  contributed  by  trustees.  In  the  great  campaign 
of  1886-7  for  $200,000  the  trustees  pledged  more 
than  one-third,  while  in  the  last  canvass  for  $100,- 
ooo  more  than  two-fifths  was  derived  from  the 
same  source.  In  raising  the  endowment  for  the 
chair  of  physical  science,  in  rebuilding  Willis  Hall, 
in  constructing  and  furnishing  Gridley  Hall  and 
the  Observatory,  in  all  these  undertakings  and  in 
others  also,  the  trustees  have  led  off.  I  do  not  know 
exactly,  but  I  believe  that  the  trustees  have  been 
the  donors  of  not  less  than  one-fifth  of  all  the  col- 
lege has  received  in  the  state."  And  for  all  this 
laborious  and  costly  service  the  sole  remuneration 
is  found  in  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  it  is 
performed  "  for  the  good  of  the  cause,"  that  thou- 
sands of  gifted  men  and  women  will  thereby  be  the 
better  furnished  for  usefulness  in  many  callings. 

The  original  number  of  incorporators,  chosen  in 
1866  by  the  state  conference,  was  twenty-four,  but 
only  about  half  of  these  took  the  necessary  legal 
steps  to  qualify,  and  hence  they  constituted  the 
board,  endowed  by  statute  with  power  to  elect  their 
own  successors.  Since  the  names  were  given  upon 
an  earlier  page,  they  need  not  be  repeated  here. 
From  that  day  to  this  something  more  than  sixty 
different  persons  have  sat  in  annual  meetings  and 


320          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

other  sessions  of  the  trustees,  serving  some  for 
longer  or  shorter  periods,  with  death,  resignation 
and  removal  from  the  state  as  the  fruitful  causes  of 
quite  frequent  changes  in  the  membership.  Few 
will  be  named  whose  terms  lasted  less  than  ten 
years.  By  1870  the  number  had  increased  to  six- 
teen, with  twenty- four  appearing  in  1877,  which 
had  been  determined  by  vote  as  the  maximum  num- 
ber. In  1883  the  sensible  innovation  was  introduced 
of  electing  members  not  for  an  indefinite  period,  but 
only  for  a  term  of  four  years,  which  has  now  be- 
come the  settled  practice.  At  the  same  time  a 
division  was  made  into  four  classes  of  six  mem- 
bers each,  the  term  of  one  class  expiring  every 
twelvemonth.  Not  less  than  twenty-seven  trustees 
have  held  the  office  for  ten  years  or  more,  twelve 
have  filled  more  than  twenty  years  of  service,  while 
eight  have  been  faithful  in  their  high  calling  more 
than  thirty  years.  A  remarkable  record  truly. 
These  are  some  of  the  honored  veterans.  Richard 
Hall  was  among  the  most  active  in  founding  the 
college,  was  the  first  president  of  the  board  and 
was  always  unwearied  in  the  performance  of  the 
duties  allotted  to  him  until  his  resignation  in  1881. 
J.  W.  Strong  was  also  one  of  the  original  mem- 
bers elected  in  1866  and  from  the  first  carried  upon 
his  mfnd  and  heart  his  full  share  of  the  heavy  bur- 
den. M.  W".  Skinner  was  chosen  at  the  same  date, 
has  been  re-elected  regularly  ever  since  and  to  this 
day  has  not  ceased  to  be  abundant  in  labors  be- 


MIEON   W.   SKINNEB. 


CARLETON'S  BUILDERS       .  321 

stowed  in  various  spheres.  Hiram  Scriver,  too,  was 
chosen  in  1866,  to  be  excelled  by  none  in  whole- 
souled  interest,  efficient  cooperation  and  generous 
giving,  until  his  decease  in  1890.  Likewise  J.  L. 
Noyes,  superintendent  of  the  Institution  for  the 
Deaf  and  Dumb  in  Faribault,  continuing  in  loyal 
cooperation  until  the  closing  year  of  the  century, 
and  then  excused  on  account  of  failing  health. 
D.  C.  Bell  follows  hard  after  for  length  of  days  and 
unstinted  toil  as  a  trustee,  still  in  the  harness,  ready 
to  do  his  part.  All  these  rank  among  the  ancients, 
the  originators. 

In  1871  three  honorables  were  added  to  the  elect, 
H.  W.  Page,  C.  S.  Hulbert  and  E.  M.  Williams,  the 
first  two  even  yet  bearing  the  heat  and  burden  of 
the  day,  and  the  third  holding  his  place  for  some 
years  after  leaving  Minnesota,  resigning  only  in 
1897.  About  the  same  time  the  names  appear  of 
H.  A.  Stimson,  the  stalwart  pastor  of  Plymouth 
church,  Minneapolis,  now  of  the  Manhattan  Con- 
gregational church,  New  York  City;  and  of  Will- 
iam Windom,  later  United  States  senator  and  secre- 
tary of  the  treasury,  though  continuing  his  member- 
ship for  nearly  two  decades.  This  company  of 
burden-bearers  received  a  valuable  addition  in  1872 
in  the  person  of  Daniel  R.  Noyes  of  St.  Paul,  a 
prominent  and  loyal  Presbyterian,  whose  name  con- 
tinues to  appear  among  them  and  whose  influence 
all  along  has  been  profoundly  felt.  The  profitable 
election  of  George  M.  Phillips  followed  two  years 


322          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

later,  with  the  responsibilities  of  financial  secretary 
soon  imposed.  Before  the  end  of  this  decade  Rev. 
Drs.  L.  H.  Cobb  and  M.  McG.  Dana*  were  drafted 
into  service,  to  be  discharged  only  after  their  return 
to  the  East;  with  Revs.  L.  W.  Chancy  and  David 
Burt,  both  wise  counsellors  and  willing  workers 
while  life  lasted ;  and  W.  S.  Pattee,  who  performed 
well  his  part  until  appointed  dean  of  the  law  de- 
partment of  the  State  University.  With  the  eighties 
came  J.  C.  Nutting  and  Rev.  J.  H.  Morley,  next 
E.  S.  Jones  and  A.  W.  Norton,  and  these  others 
following  during  the  same  decade:  Rev.  M.  W. 
Montgomery,  W.  H.  Laird,  C.  W.  Hackett,  G.  H. 
Rust,  J.  A.  Sawyer,  Rev.  Dr.  A.  H.  Heath  and 
David  P.  Jones.  These  four  were  elected  early  in 


*  Dr.  M.  McG.  Dana  was  born  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. ;  gradu- 
ated at  Amherst  College,  '59,  and  from  Union  Theo.  Sem'y 
(a  classmate  of  Pres.  Strong)  in  the  spring  of  '62.  Begin- 
ning his  ministry  at  Winsted,  Conn.,  in  '64  he  was  called  to 
the  Second  Congregational  church  of  Norwich,  Conn.  In  '74 
he  became  pastor  of  the  Park  church  in  that  city,  but  after 
four  years  of  successful  work  there,  for  the  benefit  of  Mrs. 
Dana's  health,  he  removed  to  St.  Paul,  where  the  next  ten 
years  were  spent  as  pastor  of  the  Plymouth  Congregational 
church.  After  six  years'  with  the  Kirk  Street  church,  Lowell, 
Mass'.,  he  removed  to  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  and  engaged  in  socio- 
logical work.  He  died  July  25,  1897,  leaving  three  children 
by  his  first  wife,  two  of  whom,  a  son  and  a  daughter,  gradu- 
ated at  Carleton.  The  former,  Rev.  Malcolm  Dana,  is  now 
a  pastor  in  Kingston,  R.  I.  Dr.  Dana  was  one  of  the  foun- 
ders of  the  Minnesota  Congregational  Club,  and  for  seven 
years  chairman  of  the  State  Home  Missionary  Board.  He 
was  the  first  historian  of  the  college,  having,  in  1879,  prepared 
for  the  state  conference  "The  Story  of  Carleton  College," 
which,  in  a  much  enlarged  form,  passed  through  two  editions 
and  was  very  effective,  especially  at  the  east,  in  extending  in- 
terest in  the  institution. 


CARLETON'S  BUILDERS  323 

the  nineties:  A.  E.  Engstrom,  Rev.  Dr.  G.  H. 
Wells,  G.  R.  Lyman  and  Irwin  Shepard.  For  length 
of  service  these  two-score  trustees  have  held  a  prom-* 
inent  place  among  Carleton's  builders.  And  whatl 
a  galaxy  of  talent  of  various  kinds  is  included, 
combining  so  admirably  business  and  professional 
men,  clergymen  and  lawyers,  bankers  and  mer- 
chants and  those  well  versed  in  public  affairs.  With 
such  stability  in  the  constituent  elements  of  the 
board  of  trustees,  and  such  wide  experience  result- 
ing in  the  management  of  college  affairs;  with  two 
dozen  leaders  like  these  to  plan,  and  push,  and 
safeguard,  giving  so  freely  of  their  counsel,  their 
time,  their  toil  and  their  substance,  what  wonder 
the  institution  has  been  well  cared  for,  has  been 
rescued  whenever  imperilled,  has  gained  and  held 
the  confidence  and  affection  of  a  multitude,  and  has 
been  carried  forward  from  strength  to  strength ! 

But  though  it  is  something,  is  much,  to  meet 
once,  twice,  thrice  a  year  for  a  quarter  or  a  third 
of  a  century,  sitting  through  several  lengthy  ses- 
sions discussing  matters  of  general  policy,  deficits 
and  endowments,  perplexities  and  problems  mani- 
fold, with  calls  interspersed  to  open  the  purse  and 
set  the  pace  for  giving;  far  more  than  this  is  in- 
volved, at  least  for  some,  in  consenting  to  perform 
to  the  full  the  tasks  involved  in  the  trusteeship. 
The  board  assembles,  listens,  discusses,  resolve,  upon 
some  change,  say  in  the  way  of  improvement  or  en- 
largement, and  then  adjourns.  Who  represents 


324          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

that  body  between  sessioris,  to  execute  its  decisions, 
to  carry  out  its  plans?  The  executive  committee, 
composed  of  members  resident  in  Northfield,  is  the 
instrument  of  the  trustees  to  make  loans  in  their 
behalf,  to  collect  tuition,  interest  and  rent,  pay  sal- 
aries and  meet  all  financial  obligations.  There  may 
be  something  to  be  done  almost  any  day  or  hour, 
with  not  a  little  expenditure  of  time  and  labor  re- 
quired. There  are  new  buildings  to  be  constructed 
and  old  ones  to  be  repaired.  Out  of  the  American 
House  a  Ladies'  Hall  is  to  be  fashioned;  Willis 
Hall  is  to  be  built  and  then  rebuilt;  Williams  Hall 
follows  next,  and  Gridley  Hall,  the  Observatory 
— Old  and  New — and  Scoville  Library.  Therefore 
the  work  of  this  committee  is  never  done,  and 
among  the  builders  its  six  members  must  be  held 
in  double  honor.  Upon  Messrs.  Scriver  and  Skin- 
ner these  onerous  burdens  were  imposed  in  1866, 
and  their  discharge  never  came;  at  least,  the  labors 
of  the  one  ceased  only  with  his  departure  out  of 
life,  and  the  other  after  seven-and-thirty  years  is 
still  engaged — the  only  one  of  the  original  mem- 
bers— in  this  form  of  ministry.  From  the  time  of 
his  inauguration  in  1870  until  his  resignation  in 
1903,  President  Strong  was  chairman  of  this  com- 
mittee. Charles  S.  Hulbert  was  assigned  to  duty 
in  this  sphere  in  1871,  and  George  M.  Phillips  in 
1874.  Early  in  the  eighties  Messrs.  J.  C.  Nutting 
and  A.  W.  Norton  were  drafted  for  duty,  both  to 
hold  their  places  to  the  present  hour;  next  Rev. 


CARLETON'S  BUILDERS 


325 


E.  M.  Williams  was  admitted  into  this  inner  circle 
of  toilers  for  the  public  good,  with  Harlan  W.  Page 
following  in  1885.  These  men  are  the  makers  of 
most  of  the  Carleton  that  meets  the  eye,  and  in  the 
following  list  the  names  of  all  appear : 


Trustees. 

Rev.  Richard  Hall 
Samuel  W.  Furber 
Hiram  Scriver 
Charles  M.  Goodsell 
Rev.  James  W.  Strong 
Rev.  Edmund  Gale 
Rev.  Charles   Seccombe 
Rev.  Abel  K.  Packard 
Rev.  Joseph  F.  Dudley 
Miron  W.  Skinner 
Joseph  H.  Spencer 
Andrew  T.  Hale 
Rev.  George  Spaulding 
Jonathan  L.  Noyes, 
Rev.  Americus  Fuller 
David  C.   Bell 
Rev.  David  Andrews 
Rev.  Edward  M.  Williams 
Charles  S.  Hulbert 
Rev.  N.  H.  Pierce 
Harlan  W.  Page 
William  Windom 
Rev.  Henry  A.  Stimson 
John  A.  Scriver 
William  R.  Marshall 
Daniel  R.  Noyes1 
Rev.  Henry  M.  Tenney 
Rev.  Cassius  M.  Terry 
C.  E.  Vanderburgh 
George  M.  Phillips 
Rev.  L.  H.  Cobb 
Rev.  Edward  Brown 
Rev.  David  Burt 


Residence 
when  elected. 
St.  Paul 
Cottage  Grove 
Northfield 
Northfield 
Faribault 
Faribault 
Zumbrota 
Anoka 
Winona 
Northfield 
Northfield 
Minneapolis 
Eau  Claire,  Wis. 
Faribault 
Rochester 
Minneapolis 
Winona 
Faribault 
Northfield 
Northfield 
Northfield 
Winona 
Minneapolis 
Northfield 
St.  Paul 
St.   Paul 
Winona 
St.  Paul 
Minneapolis 
Northfield 
Minneapolis 
Medford 
Northfield 


In  Service. 
1866-1882 
1866-1873 
1866-1890 
1866-1868 
1866-1903 
1866-1868 
1866-1871 
1866-1876 
1866-1869 
1866- 
1866-1873 
1866-1869 
1867-1870 
1868-1900 

1868-1874 
1869-1904 
1869-1871 
1870-1897 
1871- 

1871-1873 

1871- 

1871-1887 

1871-1883 

1872-1874 

1872-1880 

1872- 

1873-1875 
1873-1880 
1873-1882 

1874- 
1874-1886 

1874-1875 
1875-1881 


326 


HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 


Trustees. 
R.  J.  Baldwin 
Rev.  D.  L.  Leonard 
Willis  H.  Norton 
Rev.  L.  W.  Chancy 
Rev.  M.  McG.  Dana 
W.  S.  Pattee 
John  C.  Nutting 
Rev.  John  II.  Morley 
A.  B.  Nettleton 
Alfred  W.  Norton 
Edwin  S.  Jones 
Rev.  R.  G.  Hutchins 
William  H.  Laird 
Rev.  M.  W.  Montgomery 
Charles  W.  Hackett 
George  H.  Rust 
Rev.  Charles  F.  Thwing 
Joseph  A.  Sawyer 
Rev.  Albert  H.  Heath 
David  Percy  Jones 
John  E.  Bradley 
Augustus  E.  Engstrom 
Rev.  George  H.  Wells 
Irwin  Shepard 
-  George  R.  Lyman 
Francis  W.  Anderson 
Charles  E.   Dyer 
Rev.  Cornelius  H.  Patten 
Rev.  George  E.  Soper 
Lowell  E.  Jepson 
James  F.  Jackson 
Lewis  L.  Wheelock 
Hiram  A.  Scriver 
Rev.  George  R.  Merrill 
Lyndon  A.  Smith 
Thomas  S.  Buckh'am 
Rev.  L.  H.  Hallock 
Jesse  F.  Millspaugh 


Residence 

when  elected. 

In    Service. 

Minneapolis 

1875-1876 

Northfield 

1876-1882 

Northfield 

1876-1880 

Mankato 

1876-1898 

St.   Paul 

1878-1889 

Northfield 

1879-1894 

Northfield 

1880- 

Winona 

1880-1900 

Minneapolis 

1881-1885 

Northfield 

1881- 

Minneapolis 

1882-1890 

Minneapolis 

1883-1887 

Winona 

1883- 

Minneapolis 

1883-1894 

St.   Paul 

1886-1903 

Minneapolis 

1887-1900 

Minneapolis 

1887-1890 

Owatonna 

1889-1899 

St.   Paul 

1889-1894 

Minneapolis 

1890- 

Minneapolis 

1890-1893 

Cannon  Falls 

1890-1899 

Minneapolis 

1892-1896 

Winona 

1893- 

Minneapolis 

1894- 

St.   Paul 

1895-1900 

Minneapolis 

1895-1897 

Duluth 

1897-1899 

Alexandria 

1897-1900 

Minneapolis 

1898- 

St.   Paul 

1898- 

Owatonna 

1899- 

Minneapolis 

1900- 

Minneapolis 

1900- 

Montevideo 

1900- 

Faribault 

1900- 

Minneapolis 

1900- 

Winona 

1900- 

ome  next  to 

consider  a  corn- 

lite  another 

sort,  more  than 

CARLETON'S  BUILDERS  327 

twice  as  numerous,  who  have  devoted  themselves 
not  to  the  material,  visible,  tangible  side  of  things, 
but  rather  to  the  intellectual  and  spiritual,  that 
which  bears  much  more  closely  upon  manhood, 
womanhood,  character,  destiny.  The  teachers  ap- 
propriate and  apply  what  the  trustees  furnish,  put  it 
to  most  profitable  uses,  employ  it  for  the  beautify- 
ing and  enrichment  of  hearts  and  lives.  Their  busi- 
ness, their  sacred  calling  is,  by  consummate  wisdom 
and  patience  infinite,  by  ten  thousand  gentle  strokes, 
to  manufacture  (make  by  hand),  out  of  crude 
human  nature,  men  and  women  who  are  both  intel- 
ligent and  saintly;  well  equipped  within  for  the 
strenuous  and  momentous  work  of  life.  In  greater 
or  less  degree,  already  some  four  thousand  young 
men  and  maidens  have  thus  been  instructed  and 
trained.  The  whole  number  of  instructors  who 
have  wrought  together  to  rear  the  real  historic 
Carleton  is  one  hundred  and  twenty-five,  some  of 
them  remaining  but  two  or  three  terms,  some  for 
two  or  three  years  and  some  still  at  their  posts  after 
a  generation  has  come  and  gone.  The  activity  of 
these  toilers  has  not  been  in  the  least  spectacular, 
stunning  to  the  senses,  attracting  the  public  gaze, 
but  has  mainly  been  confined  to  the  semi-private 
class-room.  They  have  made  history  which  cannot 
be  put  at  all  fittingly  upon  the  printed  page.  The 
tireless  endeavor  has  been  to  prod  the  indolent,  to 
stimulate  the  dull,  to  incite  the  student  to  see,  and 
hear,  and  think,  and  know,  and  be,  and  do.  The 


328          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

fruit  of  a  lifetime  of  such  building  as  this  is  most 
precious  and  most  enduring. 

Here  and  all  along,  not  a  little  embarrassment  to 
the  historian  has  resulted  from  the  fact  that  so 
many  of  the  prominent  actors  in  the  stirring  Car- 
leton  drama  are  living  and  still  upon  the  stage  of 
action.  For  the  most  part,  history  is  supposed  to 
relate  to  the  sayings  and  doings  of  the  departed, 
whom  therefore  we  are  able  to  survey  in  their  en- 
tirety and  from  a  distance.  Nor,  by  common  con- 
sent, is  it  deemed  becoming  to  speak  freely  of  the 
living  either  to  commend  or  discredit.  Under  such 
limitations  it  is  necessary  to  speak  with  circum- 
spection, and  more,  with  brevity.  Of  the  entire 
six-score  and  more  of  those  whose  names  appear 
among  the  faculty,  only  a  portion  can  with  pro- 
priety be  mentioned  here,  and  properly  those  will 
be  selected  whose  terms  of  service  have  been  long- 
est. Three  classes  may  be  distinguished.  To  the 
first  belong  the  Honored  Four,  who  upon  Carleton 
have  lavished  their  energies,  some  more  and  none 
much  less  than  thirty  years,  and  the  aggregate  of 
whose  labors  covers  more  than  a  century  and  a 
quarter.  Professor  Horace  Goodhue  is  the  "  patri- 
arch "  of  the  institution  (though  yet  far  from  aged 
in  appearance  and  mien),  whose  life,  from  his  grad- 
uation day  at  Dartmouth,  belongs  to  Northfield; 
who  laid  the  foundations,  opened  the  doors  to  learn- 
ing; who  was  so  long  at  the  head  of  the  prepara- 
tory department;  who,  in  the  absence  of  the  presi- 


CARLETON'S  BUILDERS  329 

dent,  was  the  presiding  officer  of  the  faculty,  and 
now  for  a  goodly  number  of  years  dean  of  the 
faculty.  Next,  chronologically,  comes  President 
Strong,  for  more  than  a  decade  teaching  to  a  lim- 
ited extent,  but  of  necessity  expending  himself 
mainly  upon  outside  affairs,  burdened  with  the  dif- 
ficult and  exhausting  work  of  administration,  or 
absent  in  absorbing  quest  of  large-hearted,  open- 
handed  friends  of  Christian  education;  or  of  eligi- 
ble additions  to  the  teaching  force.  Prof.  Wm.  W. 
Payne  was  the  third  to  appear  upon  the  scene,  who 
graduated  from  Hillsdale  College  in  1863,  was 
trained  for  the  legal  profession,  taking  his  second 
year  in  Chicago  University,  an  editor  of  long 
standing,  gifted  with  a  clear  head  and  a  heart  full 
of  fervor,  able  to  see  things  invisible,  and  as  well 
to  plan  and  strike  out  new  paths.  Miss  Margaret 
J.  Evans,  easily  foremost  of  all  Carleton's  women, 
graduated  at  Lawrence  University,  Appleton,  Wis., 
in  1869.  Although  never  a  Methodist,  she  went 
thither  because  at  that  time  Lawrence  was  the  only 
institution  in  the  whole  West  where  a  young  woman 
could  study  Greek.  Such  were  her  gifts  and  at- 
tainments that  only  one  year  after  graduation  she 
became  preceptress  of  her  alma  mater.  In  1874  she 
came  to  Carleton  where  ever  since  her  ambitions 
and  longings  have1  been  so  centered  and  satisfied 
that  she  has  been  able  to  resist  successfully  repeated 
allurements  to  transfer  her  allegiance  to  other 
schools  far  more  famous  and  wealthy.  For  many 


330  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

years  she  has  been  in  frequent  demand  for  public 
addresses  both  East  and  West,  and  to  her  fell  the 
distinguished  honor  of  being  the  first  representative 
of  her  sex  to  be  elected  a  corporate  member  of  the 
American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign 
Missions.  These  four  may  not  inaptly  be  termed 
the  corner  stones  upon  which  the  superstructure  of 
Carleton  College  has  been  reared.  No  future 
comers  can  ever  by  any  possibility  remove  them 
from  their  unique  position,  their  well-deserved  niche 
in  Carleton's  temple  of  fame. 

A  second  class  includes  those  who  have  been 
builders  less  than  thirty,  but  more  than  twenty 
years.  Of  such  there  are  also  four,  with  Dr.  L.  B. 
Sperry  first  upon  the  ground,  the  original  incum- 
bent of  the  chair  of  Physical  Science,  who,  though 
resigning  this  position  after  nine  years,  has  to  this 
day  continued  to  give  courses  of  lectures  upon  sani- 
tary science,  to  say  nothing  of  his  numerous  lec- 
tures upon  popular  themes.  Rev.  George  Hunting- 
ton  made  his  arrival  in  the  autumn  of  1879,  com- 
ing from  a  long  pastorate  in  Oak  Park,  Illinois,  to 
be  a  true  pastor  to  the  students  and  to  many  more, 
who,  in  addition  to  giving  instruction  in  Rhetoric 
and  Biblical  Literature,  has  been  also  in  a  sense  the 
literary  representative  of  the  college  through  his 
frequent  articles,  in  both  poetry  and  prose,  appear- 
ing in  the  religious  press  and  in  divers  popular  vol- 
umes. Rev.  Arthur  H.  Pearson,  also  clergyman  as 
well  as  professor,  came  a  year  later  and  after  a 


MARGARET    J.    EVANS. 


CARLETON'S  BUILDERS  331 

decade  devoted  to  instruction  in  the  realm  of  Chem- 
istry and  Physics,  was  transferred  to  the  sphere  of 
Psychology  and  Ethics,  with  frequent  preaching 
meantime  and  public  addresses  upon  various  themes 
throughout  the  state.  Lucian  W.  Chancy  enjoys 
the  fame  of  being  the  first  alumnus  to  rise  to  the 
rank  of  full  professor,  with  Biology  and  Geology 
as  his  department,  whose  connection  with  the 
faculty  began  as  far  back  as  1882. 

The  third  class  numbers  nine  and  includes  those 
whose  terms  of  service  have  lasted  less  than  two 
decades  but  more  than  one.  Soon  after  the  much-  .1 

, 

regretted  resignation  of  John  B.  Clark  his  successor  /  '•- 
in  the  chair  of  History  and  Political  Science  was 
chosen  in  the  person  of  Charles  H.  Cooper,  now 
president  of  the  Mankato  Normal  School;  and  two 
years  after  Miss  Louisa  H.  Richardson  was  elected 
to  the  chair  of  the  Latin  Language  and  Literature, 
succeeding  thus  Miss  Alice  L.  Armsby,  who  in 
July,  1885,  had  become  Mrs.  A.  H.  Pearson.  Four 
valuable  additions  to  the  faculty  were  made  in  1887, 
the  first  two  of  them  being  graduates  of  the  col- 
lege: Herbert  C.  Wilson,  presently  to  become  as- 
sociate professor  of  Astronomy  and  Mathematics; 
Miss  Isabella  Watson,  professor  of  French  and 
German;  Rev.  Daniel  Magnus,  professor  of  Swed- 
ish and  teacher  of  German  and  English;  and  Miss 
Caroline  E.  Linnell,  teacher  of  Expression  and  Elo- 
cution. Early  in  the  closing  decade  of  the  century 
Wilmot  V.  Metcalf  came  to  be  professor  of  Chem- 


332  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

istry  and  Physics,  Miss  Lucia  E.  Danforth  to  be 
preceptress  of  the  academy,  and  Frederick  E.  Strat- 
ton  principal  of  the  academy.  Some  others  should 
be  named,  though  their  stay  was  comparatively 
brief,  because  of  the  excellent  work  they  did  and 
the  impression  they  left  behind;  such,  for  example, 
as  John  B:  Clark  now  of  Columbia  University, 
Miss  Armsby  who  for  nine  years  filled  her  station 
to  the  full;  with  Dwight  C.  Rice  and  Jesse  W. 
Parker,  each  in  his  time  director  of  the  Music 
Department.  And  one  other  name  must  stand  in 
this  place  among  the  builders,  though  not  reckoned 
among  the  teachers.  In  1879  Miss  Anna  T.  Lin- 
coln was  appointed  matron,  installed  at  first  in  old 
"  Ladies'  Hall,"  though  soon  transferred  to  Gridley 
Hall,  and  becoming  superintendent  of  the  domestic 
department,  where  ever  since  she  has  presided  with 
great  acceptance  and  profit,  having  charge  of  the 
purchase  and  preparation  of  food  fpr  the  bulk  of 
the  student-body,  but  being  also  a  potent  social  and 
refining  force,  doing  with  several  like-minded  and 
like-hearted  associates,  far  more  than  can  be  told 
to  make  the  hall  a  healthful,  sunny,  and  uplifting 
home. 

The  Givers. — But  first,  a  word  explanatory  is 
called  for.  It  must  always  be  borne  in  mind  that 
a  college,  like  any  other  institution  which  makes 
for  the  public  welfare,  the  betterment  of  human- 
kind, is  not  to  be  thought  of  as  merely  or  mainly 
a  ravenous  beggar,  but  as  a  bountiful  benefactor 


CARLETON'S  BUILDERS  333 

instead.  Or,  if  it  does  solicit,  plead,  urge,  even  al- 
most demand,  this  is  because  only  so  can  bestow - 
ment  and  distribution  be  made.  And,  therefore,  this 
school,  whether  considered  as  composed  of  grounds, 
buildings,  apparatus,  endowments,  instructors,  what 
not,  is  above  all  else  an  inestimable  donation  to  the 
wealth  (material  and  spiritual)  of  the  community, 
the  state,  the  land,  the  Kingdom,  to  the  present  and 
the  future.  Take  Northfield  as  the  best  illustration. 
An  investigation  will  easily  and  quickly  make  it 
appear  that,  when  all  things  are  considered,  the  col- 
lege is  a  donor  far  more  than  a  recipient,  brings 
even  more  money  into  Northfield  pockets  than  it 
extracts  from  them.  Think,  for  example,  of  the 
amount  paid  annually  in  board  bills,  of  the  greatly 
increased  sales  of  food  and  fuel,  books  and  beef, 
clothing  and  confectionery.  Recall  the  number  of 
thrifty,  well-to-do  families  attracted  and  held  to  the 
vicinity  of  the  campus.  Count  the  students  in  the 
several  deparments  whose  homes  have  been  hard  by 
or  within  a  few  miles,  and  the  consequent  greatly 
reduced  cost  of  their  education.  Then  rising  above 
the  plane  of  dollars  and  cents,  take  into  account  the 
multitude  of  good  things  brought  near  and  made 
accessible  to  all,  like  larger  congregations  and  better 
preaching,  concerts  and  lectures,  commencements 
and  all  that;  trie  continual  contact  with  scores  of 
cultured  teachers,  the  daily  sight  of  hundreds  of 
earnest,  buoyant  youth,  so  inspiring  to  every  be- 
holder. Upon  this  phase  of  the  facts  in  the  case 


334          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

the  testimony  of  Mr.  Page  is  most  emphatic,  is  to 
the  point  and  cannot  be  gainsaid :  "  The  college 
turns  into  the  channels  of  business  in  Northfield  not 
less  than  $50,000  a  year.  During  the  years  I  have 
been  financial  secretary  I  have  paid  to  residents  of 
Northfield  three-quarters  of  a  million  dollars 
($750,000) ! "  Professor  Goodhue  has  corrobo- 
rative statements  which  descend  into  detail.  As  far 
back  as  1888,  in  a  paper  read  before  the  Cosmos 
Club,  entitled  "  The  Local  Benefits  of  an  Educa- 
tional Institution,"  he  was  able  to  give  the  names 
of  55  graduates  of  the  various  departments  whose 
homes  were  either  in  Northfield  or  its  environs,  and 
was  able  to  count  from  the  catalogues  some  400 
other  names  of  those  similarly  situated  who  had 
been  students  for  a  longer  or  shorter  time.  Though 
his  figures  are  out  of  date  by  more  than  sixteen 
years,  they  are  most  instructive  and  must  be  repro- 
duced, at  least  for  substance.  He  says : 

"  Most  of  the  55  students  took  both  preparatory 
and  collegate  studies  here,  spending  therefore  five, 
six  and  seven  years.  If  five  years  were  the  average, 
and  $200  were  the  annual  saving  by  living  at  home, 
the  total  saving  would  be  $55,000.  If  the  400  have 
averaged  but  one  year  of  study,  the  saving  would 
be  $80,000  more.  The  average  attendance  for  the 
last  five  years  has  been  above  200.  Upon  inquiry 
I  find  that  our  students  expend  for  board  in  town, 
for  clothing  purchased  here,  for  room  rent,  fuel, 
lights,  books,  stationery,  washing,  photography, 


CARLETON'S  BUILDERS  335 

livery-hire,  etc.,  a  little  more  than  $100  a  year  each 
on  an  average,  thereby  increasing  the  trade  of  the 
town  $20,000  annually.  If  each  of  the  150  persons 
residing  here  because  of  the  college  (that  is,  those 
who  come  to  educate  their  children,  and  because  of 
other  like  advantages),  expends  only  $300  a  year  in 
the  improvement  of  their  homes  and  sustenance  of 
their  families,  their  trade  amounts  to  $45,000. 
Then,  too,  the  college  pays  out  large  sums  here. 
The  books  of  the  financial  secretary  show  that  out 
of  its  treasury  were  paid  during  the  last  three  school 
years  for  ordinary  expenses  a  total  of  $154,075,  or 
an  annual  average  of  $51,358.  It  appears  then  that 
the  college  pays  out  over  $51,000  each  year,  and 
of  this  sum  at  least  eighty-four  per  cent,  is  expended 
in  Northfield  and  only  sixteen  per  cent,  elsewhere, 
and  this  of  necessity,  for  taxes,  advertising,  scien- 
tific instruments  and  supplies.  Also  that  the  finan- 
cial benefit  of  the  college  to  the  trade  of  the  com- 
munity, direct  and  indirect,  exceeds  $100,000  an- 
nually and  is  steadily  increasing."  If  these  figures 
were  brought  down  to  the  present,  the  result  ob- 
tained would  be  much  more  impressive,  since  the 
amounts  paid  annually,  directly  and  indirectly,  by 
the  college  to  the  community  are  now  greater  by  at 
least  one-third. 

In  this  chapter  the  friends  of  Carleton  are  sep- 
arated into  three  divisions,  the  Trustees,  the 
Faculty,  and  the  Givers.  And  yet,  any  attempt 
thus  to  differentiate  those  who  have  wrought  to- 


336          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

gether  for  the  upbuilding  of  this  school  is  liable 
to  the  charge  of  making  a  distinction  where  there 
is  in  reality  no  difference,  since  all  are  equally 
builders  and  all  are  equally  givers,  and  all  built  by 
giving  and  by  that  alone.  Every  helper,  no  matter 
in  what  sphere  or  by  what  form  of  activity,  first 
gave  himself,  and  after  that  imparted  of  what  he 
had  most  to  bestow,  be  it  time,  toil,  brain,  heart, 
money.  Parents  who  possessed  not  much  besides, 
donated  sons  and  daughters,  a  contribution  how 
noble  and  praiseworthy.  The  givers,  therefore,  are 
a  great  and  illustrious  company,  while  the  variety 
of  the  benefactions  has  been  well-nigh  endless. 
Multitudinous  are  the  "  two  mites "  which  have 
been  cast  into  this  sacred  treasury,  the  utmost  that 
could  be  spared  from  straightened  means,  costing 
what  careful  planning,  what  rigid  economy  and  self- 
denial.  Not  a  few  of  the  smallest  sums  bestowed 
have  also  been  the  most  inspiring,  most  significant 
and  most  precious.  Therefore,  no  adulation  of 
wealth  is  at  all  in  order ;  no  fulsome  words  of  praise 
for  gifts  merely  because  of  their  size,  their  value 
in  the  marts  of  trade.  And  yet  it  evidently  remains 
true  that  large  sums  of  money  bestowed  en  bloc 
possess  a  peculiar  value  and  perform  a  service  alto- 
gether unique,  among  the  rest  by  kindling  courage 
and  stirring  enthusiasm,  and  hence  in  a  sense  are  in- 
dispensable. For  example,  the  astounding  and  in- 
credible sum,  as  it  then  appeared,  which  Mr.  Carle- 
ton  bestowed  at  a  time  when  fcope  was  almost 


CARLETON'S  BUILDERS  337 

gone,  and  the  struggling  institution  to  all  appear- 
ance was  in  its  last  throes.  Certainly  Northfield 
had  never  been  a  college  town  except  for  the  con- 
siderable sum  with  which  Mr.  Goodsell  headed  the 
subscription  paper  and  so  provoked  scores  of  others 
to  do  their  best.  In  like  manner  a  distinguished 
service  was  performed  on  the  famous  day  of  Presi- 
dent Strong's  inauguration,  when  Rev.  E.  M.  Will- 
iams and  the  Goodsell  family  led  the  way  with 
pledges  aggregating  $10,000.  Or,  in  the  recent 
campaign,  it  is  much  more  than  doubtful  if  the 
$100,000  would  have  been  forthcoming  if  the 
$50,600  conditioned  upon  it  had  not  been  certain  at 
the  beginning. 

Fortunately  for  Carleton,  the  givers  of  consider- 
able sums  for  the  supply  of  its  needs  are  already 
numbered  by  scores.  Few  if  any  other  Western 
institutions  of  learning  can  name  as  many.  It  is 
not  at  all  strange  that  a  large  proportion  of  these 
have  been  dwellers  in  the  East,  where  settled  society 
and  the  chance  to  accumulate  have  existed  for  cen- 
turies ;  and  also  to  a  great  extent  in  New  England, 
than  which  it  would  be  difficult  indeed  to  find  a 
region  where  to  such  a  phenomenal  extent,  econ- 
omy, thrift  and  keenest  business  enterprise,  are 
found  combined  with  intelligence  and  whole- 
hearted readiness  to  impart  for  the  furtherance  of 
any  worthy  object.  It  is  needless  to  suggest,  all 
along  it  is  to  be  taken  for  granted,  that  except  in 
the  first  two  or  three  attempts  at  money-raising, 


338          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

the  leader  and  chief  personal  force  have  uniformly 
been  found  in  the  person  of  President  Strong.  And 
whatever  else  of  value  he  may  have  achieved  in 
life,  it  is  doubtless  in  this  most  weighty  matter  that 
his  supreme  lifework  has  been  performed.  On  a 
former  page  mention  was  made  of  a  letter  penned 
by  an  experienced  college  president,  in  which  it  was 
affirmed  with  emphasis  and  iteration  that  hard  cash 
for  infant  colleges  in  the  West  could  not  be  ex- 
tracted from  Yankee  purses.  In  the  cases  of  most 
men,  no  doubt  that  lugubrious  vaticination  would 
have  proved  to  be  an  accurate  prognostication.  But 
here,  as  so  often  elsewhere,  the  fact  has  been  made 
apparent  that  "it  is  personality  which  tells."  A 
foregleam  and  prophecy  of  many  good  things  to 
come  appear  at  the  very  outset,  when  we  find  the 
president-elect  putting  this  pregnant  query  to  the 
board:  "  The  gift  of  how  large  a  sum  will  entitle 
the  donor  to  name  the  college;  and  how  large  to 
name  a  professorship?"  And  again,  when  within 
a  few  hours  a  pledge  of  $6,000  and  another  of 
$4,000  had  been  secured.  Moreover,  almost  at  once 
after  inauguration  day  a  journey  was  made  to  the 
East,  a  call  was  made  upon  a  certain  Boston  mer- 
chant, a  railroad  accident  occurred,  and  only  three 
months  later  a  great  gift  was  announced  which 
lifted  the  college  to  fame. 

Probably  enough  has  already  been  said  about  the 
munificence  of  William  Carleton  and  Susan  Willis, 
which  for  substance,  spirit  and  manner  was  won- 


CARLETON'S  BUILDERS  339 

derful,  was  really  ideal.  How  great  was  their  faith 
and  how  lavish  was  their  giving!  They  were  pio- 
neers; they  marked  out  the  path.  For  others  to 
follow  in  their  footsteps  has  been  relatively  an 
easy  task.  But  since  that  magnificent  beginning, 
Larger  Boston  and  vicinity  have  added  numerous 
benefactions  both  large  and  small,  bestowed  in  the 
same  royal  fashion,  and  which  have  supplied  a  be- 
coming supplement  to  that  beginning.  Thus  there 
was  Daniel  T.  Coit,  a  physician  of  peculiar  man- 
ners, informal,  quick,  decided,  brusque  and  very 
hard  to  reach.  Perhaps  he  would  meet  the  caller 
at  the  door,  hat  in  hand,  and  talk  with  him  there, 
or  keep  him  in  the  cold  hall,  never  inviting  him  to 
be  seated.  He  had  been  giving  to  Williams  Col- 
lege through  admiration  for  President  Hopkins,  but 
after  repeated  interviews  he  was  persuaded  to  make 
a  legacy  to  Carleton  of  $5,000  and  also  to  make 
it  the  residuary  legatee  to  his  estate,  whereby  about 
$13,000  more  was  in  due  time  received.  Mrs. 
Martha  W.  Wilkinson*  of  Cambridge  is  another 


*  Martha  Walker  Turner,  the  daughter  of  Rev.  John  and 
Lucy  Turner,  was  born  in  Biddeford,  Me.,  February  13,  1809. 
She  was  one  of  a  large  family  of  children  and  being  naturally 
energetic  and  self-reliant,  she  early  went  to  the  south  as  a 
teacher.  November  6,  1834,  she  married  Edward  Dunning, 
a  merchant  of  Mobile,  Alabama,  who  lived  less  than  two 
years.  In  December,  1840,  she  married  Arthur  Wilkinson, 
a  prosperous1  Boston  merchant,  who  subsequently  bought  an 
elegant  estate  on  Dana  Hill,  Cambridge.  He  did  not  long 
survive  his  removal  thither,  and  their  four  children  died  in 
early  life ;  but  until  her  death,  June  22,  1895,  that  home  was 
ideal  in  its  open-hearted  hospitality,  and  to  many  relatives  and 
friends  it  was  a  haven  of  rest  — a  comfort  and  inspiration. 


340          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

name  to  be  held  in  highest  esteem  for  most  generous 
and  worthy  deeds.  Being  in  Boston  once  while 
yet  a  Faribault  pastor,  and  seeking  a  pulpit  for  a 
Sunday's  occupation,  the  President-to-be  was  as- 
signed first  to  a  church  near  by,  but  later  a  change 
was  made  and  he  was  sent  out  on  Cape  Ann,  and 
to  what  appeared  to  be  a  rather  forlorn  appoint- 
ment. However,  within  a  day  or  two,  the  pastor  of 
that  church,  Rev.  Wm.  H.  Dunning,  who  was  in 
failing  health,  called  upon  him  to  inquire  about  the 
qualities  of  the  Minnesota  climate,  and  later  took  his 
journey  thither,  sojourning  in  Faribault  and  under 
the  pastor's  roof,  where  also  he  died  in  the  Feb- 
ruary following.*  This  was  the  eldest  son  of  Mrs. 
Wilkinson,  and  thus  was  brought  about  an  ac- 
quaintance destined  to  mean  much  to  Carleton. 

Mrs.  Wilkinson  was  a  queen  among  women.  In  her,  grace 
and  strength  combined  to  form  a  character  most  symmetrical 
and  effective.  Her  benevolence  was  large  and  flowed  in 
many  channels,  but  was  always  unostentatious.  She  gave 
cheerfully,  gladly  and  conscientiously,  with  a  sense  of  Chris- 
tian stewardship,  and  especially  to  what  she  esteemed  the 
great  causes — missions,  home  and  foreign,  and  Christian  edu- 
cation. To  Carleton  College  her  gifts  aggregated  more  than 
those  of  any  other  donor,  except  Mr.  Carleton.  Appreciative 
minutes  have  been  adopted  by  the  trustees,  and  her  name 
has  been  given  to  the  endowment  of  the  president's  chair. 

*  One  who  knew  him  well,  thus  writes  of  Mr.  Dunning: 
"Possessing  a  well-endowed  and  highly  cultivated  mind,  a 
deep  and  unostentatious  piety,  a  singularly  pure  and  gener- 
ous spirit,  and  a  rare  sweetness  of  temper  and  courtesy  of 
manner,  he  was'  in  every  way  a  true  disciple,  an  able  min- 
ister and  a  Christian  gentleman ;  strong  without  vehemence, 
quiet  without  inertness,  mirthful  without  lightness.  His  was 
'the  wisdom  that  is  from  above,  first  pure  then  peaceable, 
gentle,  easy  to  be  entreated,  full  of  mercy  and  good  fruits, 
without  partiality  and  without  hypocrisy.'" 


MARTHA  WHITE  WILKINSON. 


CARLETON'S  BUILDERS  341 

She  invited  Mr.  Strong  to  call  upon  her  when  at 
the  East,  and  accepting  the  invitation,  he  was  urged 
to  make  her  house  his  home.  She  seemed  in  a 
sense  to  adopt  him,  in  place  of  the  one  just  lost, 
and  for  nearly  twenty-five  years  she  gave  him  as 
hearty  a  welcome  at  any  and  all  times  as  though  he 
were  really  her  own  son.  But  more,  she  soon  be- 
gan to  give  to  the  college,  and  continued  to  bestow 
sums  varying  from  $100  to  $15,000,  the  aggre- 
gate reaching  more  than  $37,000  at  the  time  of 
her  death.  Closely  associated  with  her,  both  in 
personal  friendship  and  benevolent  doing  was  her 
daughter-in-law,  who  as  a  memorial  of  her  hus- 
band, donated  to  the  college  the  "  William  H. 
Dunning  Cabinet,"  a  very  valuable  collection  of 
geological  specimens,  especially  rich  in  fossil  ferns. 
Although  a  large  part  of  this  was  lost  in  the  fire 
which  in  '79  destroyed  Willis  Hall,  it  has  been 
replaced  by  a  much  larger  collection,  and  the  name 
is  gladly  retained.  Moreover  it  was  through  Mrs. 
Wilkinson  that  acquaintance  was  made  with  divers 
men  and  women  possessed  of  large  hearts  and  large 
means,  combined  with  wise  methods  of  work. 
Among  these  was  Miss  Louisa  J.  Brown  from 
whom  came  numerous  small  sums  for  current  ex- 
penses and  benevolent  uses,  and  at  one  time  $1,100 
for  endowment. 

Deacon  John  Field  once  gave  the  start  to  an 
effort  to  raise  $10,000  by  pledging  the  last  tenth 
of  that  amount;  and  he  had  a  penchant  for  assist- 


342          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

ing  other  colleges  in  a  similar  way.  Deacon  Ezra 
Farnsworth  of  Park  St.  church,  made  three  dona- 
tions inside  of  three  years,  amounting  in  all  to 
$2,000.  And  Deacon  W.  O.  Grover  of  Central 
church,  after  a  three  minutes'  interview,  made 
Carleton  the  richer  by  $500,  and  enjoyed  the  in- 
vestment so  much  as  to  add  eventually  $2,100.  So 
much  for  Boston;  but  Boston  is  by  no  means  the 
whole  of  Massachusetts,  for  among  others,  Wor- 
cester once  had  an  L.  J.  Knowles,  an  inventor  of 
note  who  also  had  married  a  Strong,  a  woman 
of  large  benevolence,  and  hence  was  interested  in 
the  name.  The  president  had  preached  several 
times  in  that  city  and  received  entertainment  at 
the  Knowles  residence.  Ere  long  the  gifts  began 
to  flow  Northfield-ward,  Mrs.  Knowles  starting 
the  stream  with  $175  to  assist  in  the  payment  of  the 
expenses  of  one  of  the  Carleton  girls,  $500  follow- 
ing ere  long.  It  happened  that  once  while  the  presi- 
dent was  there,  the  news  arrived  of  the  successful 
issue  of  a  perplexing  lawsuit ;  and  so  happy  was  he 
at  gaining  his  case  that  on  the  spot,  as  a  thank- 
offering,  a  check  was  made  out  for  $3,000,  pay- 
able to  the  college  treasurer.  Several  other  sums 
were  bestowed  at  various  times,  and  by  will  was  left 
$10,000.  If  all  the  gifts  of  husband  and  wife  are 
included  the  sum  is  $17,875. 

For  presidents  of  western  colleges  sorely  in 
need  of  funds  whereupon  to  live,  thrive  and  grow, 
it  is  not  a  far  cry  from  Massachusetts  to  Connecti- 


CARLETON'S  BUILDERS  343 

cut;  with  Hartford  easily  its  capital  city  for  com- 
bined wealth  and  readiness  to  bestow,  when  worthy 
objects  are  presented  in  rational  ways.  The  reader 
will  recall  that  not  many  days  after  making  the 
acquaintance  of  Mr.  Carleton  and  Miss  Willis,  and 
from  their  hands  receiving  some  substantial  tokens 
of  their  regard,  President  Strong,  setting  forth 
upon  his  return  to  Minnesota,  made  a  momentous 
halt  in  Hartford,  more  especially  because  it  was 
the  home  of  Rev.  J.  H.  Twichell,  a  classmate  of 
his  in  the  theological  seminary.  That  very  after- 
noon occurred  the  railroad  accident  which  for  sev- 
eral days  appeared  to  have  ended  not  only  his 
earthly  career,  but  that  of  the  college  also;  but 
which  instead,  lifted  both  to  distinction  through- 
out the  land,  and  turned  out  to  be  perhaps  the 
greatest  benefit  that  ever  fell  to  Carleton's  lot  to 
receive.  Nor  was  the  first  $50,000  for  endowment 
the  only  outcome.  After  his  partial  recovery,  in 
honor  of  the  unfortunate  sufferer,  a  reception  was 
given  at  which  Rev.  Drs.  Horace  Bushnell,  N.  J. 
Burton,  E.  P.  Parker,  J.  H.  Twitchell  and  others 
were  present,  and  the  next  Sabbath,  standing  on 
one  foot  with  his  left  knee  resting  upon  a  chair  for 
support,  he  preached  for  Mr.  Twitchell.  Visiting 
that  city  the  year  following,  he  preached  again  in 
that  pulpit.  At  the  close  of  the  service,  a  pleasant- 
faced  man  in  a  plain  business  suit,  came  forward 
to  greet  the  speaker,  giving  his  name  as  Eber  Grid- 
ley.  "  Gridley  ?  Why,  that  was  my  father's  mid- 


344          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

die  name,"  was  the  pleased  response.  "  Yes,"  said 
he,  "  I  suppose  I  know  something  of  your  ances- 
tors. Do  you  ever  call  on  poor  folks  ?  "  "I  should 
be  very  glad  to  call  upon  you  if  you  will  give  me 
your  address."  A  day  or  two  later,  as  he  ap- 
proached the  house,  it  seemed  quite  evident  that 
the  owner  could  not  belong  to  the  class  of  very 
"  poor  folks."  This  call  led  to  a  cordial  invita- 
tion to  come  whenever  he  could,  to  stay  as  long 
as  he  pleased  and  to  make  himself  "  perfectly  at 
home."  It  appears  that  on  reading  an  account 
of  the  accident,  Mr.  Gridley  had  noticed  that  Strong- 
was  the  name  of  one  of  the  victims,  and  upon  in- 
quiry learned  that  he  himself  was  cousin  to  Presi- 
dent Strong's  father.  As  the  years  passed  on  sev- 
eral pleasant  visits  were  made  at  this  hospitable 
mansion.  On  one  of  these  occasions,  Mr.  Gridley 
escorted  his  guest  to  a  safety-deposit  vault  and 
showed  him  certain  legal  papers  which  secured  to 
the  college  one-half  of  the  Gridley  estate,  to  be 
used  in  the  construction  of  a  building  for  the  uses 
of  the  institution,  and  to-day  Gridley  Hall  stands 
as  a  monument  to  keep  alive  the  memory  of  his 
munificent  deed.* 


*  Eber  Gridley,  the  s'on  of  Mark  and  Abigail  Flagg  Grid- 
ley,  was  born  at  West  Hartford,  Conn.,  June  23,  1813.  His 
early  manhood  was  given  to  farming,  then  a  few  years  were 
spent  in  mercantile  pursuits,  after  which  he  engaged  very 
successfully  in  manufacturing.  He  died  of  heart  disease, 
while  riding  in  his  carriage,  June  28,  1878,  aged  65.  He  was 
characterized  by  industry,  integrity  and  benevolence.  His 


EBER  GRIDLEY. 


CARLETON'S  BUILDERS  345 

But  Hartford  was  also  the  home  of  others  of 
the  same  princely  make.  Thus  Roland  Mather's 
interest  was  so  enlisted  in  western  education,  that 
starting  with  a  gift  of  $100,  the  process  continued 
through  a  decade,  and  until  the  amount  had  swollen 
to  $6,000.  J.  B.  Eldridge  made  a  donation  of 
$1,500,  and  three  years  later  through  his  will  trans- 
f erred  $15,000  more.  Charles  Boswell  was  the 
donor  of  $5,000,  the  same  to  be  kept  at  interest 
until  increased  to  $10,000,  when  the  whole  amount 
should  be  held  as  a  permanent  fund  to  aid  deserving 
young  men  in  the  collegiate  classes.  In  1880  he 
also  paid  the  cost  of  a  bell  to  be  placed  in  the  tower 
of  the  re-built  Willis  Hall. 

Let  it  by  no  means,  however,  be  imagined  that 
the  benevolence  of  Connecticut  is  confined  to  its 
capitol.  Among  other  cities,  New  London  deserves 
to  stand  in  the  same  category,  with  Henry  P. 
Haven  as  a  speciment  of  its  Christian  manhood. 
His  readiness  to  assist  students  who  were  prepar- 
ing for  the  ministry  was  known,  but  no  personal 
solicitation  for  funds  had  been  made.  It  occurred 
in  1876  that  while  in  Boston,  in  some  inexplicable 
way,  an  impression  came  to  the  president  too  strong 
to  be  resisted,  that  a  trip  should  be  taken  to  New 
London  and  a  call  on  him  should  be  made.  Mr. 
Haven  was  a  shipping  merchant  and  a  "  model 
Sunday-school  superintendent,"  as  his  memoir  by 

estate  was  bequeathed  to  Carleton  College  and  Mt.  Holyoke 
Seminary,  in  which  Mrs.  Gridley  had  become  especially  in- 
terested. 


346  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

H.  Clay  Trumbull  has  fully  set  forth;  a  very  busy 
man  withal,  almost  every  hour  of  whose  time  was 
usually  pre-engaged.  An  interview  was  sought  in 
the  evening,  and  lo,  he  was  found  at  home  and 
also  at  liberty!  The  endowment  to  the  chair  of 
physical  science  had  just  been  secured,  but  the  in- 
come was  not  yet  available,  so  that  it  was  neces- 
sary to  provide  from  other  sources  for  the  salary 
of  the  incumbent.  This  amount,  $1,200,  was  the 
immediate  object  of  pursuit.  Kindly  listening  until 
the  situation  was  understood,  Mr.  Haven's  re- 
sponse was,  "  1  have  a  venture  out  upon  the  sea, 
and  if  it  proves  favorable,  I  will  give  you  a  quar- 
ter of  the  sum  needed."  After  further  thought  the 
proposition  was  amended  as  follows :  "  I  have  an- 
other venture  out£  and  if  that  one  is  crowned  with 
success,  I  will  take  a  second  quarter."  So  the 
matter  rested  over  night.  Next  morning  under  an 
impelling  conviction  whose  meaning  was  unknown, 
a  call  was  made  at  his  office  simply  to  give  him  a 
morning  greeting,  but  Mr.  Haven  had  not  come 
in.  A  little  later  he  was  found  engaged  and  so 
was  not  interrupted.  A  third  attempt,  however, 
proved  successful  in  more  senses  than  one,  for  al- 
most at  once  he  said :  "  Mr.  Strong,  I  was  think- 
ing that  if  I  should  see  you  this  morning,  I  would 
take  a  third  quarter."  Upon  this  they  parted;  but 
a  few  hours  afterwards,  recalling  that  he  had  not 
asked  if  the  donor's  name  might  be  mentioned  in 
connection  with  this  transaction,  the  president  sent 


CARLETON'S  BUILDERS  347 

a  note  to  ascertain  his  wish.  With  the  reply  came 
this  final  revision  of  his  pledge :  "  Since  your  de- 
parture I  have  received  such  tidings  from  under  the 
sea,  that  I  have  concluded  to  take  the  last  quar- 
ter," and  the  dates  of  payment  were  definitely 
named.  Only  one-fourth  had  been  forwarded  when 
suddenly  Mr.  Haven  died.  When  the  estate  was 
settled,  no  mention  of  this  matter  appearing  upon 
the  books,  the  administrator  declined  at  first  to  make 
further  payments,  but  a  copy  of  the  letter  just 
mentioned  being  forwarded,  all  hesitation  was  re- 
moved. 

One  more  experience  while  gold-hunting  in  the 
East  touches  another  Connecticut  community,  and 
joins  it  with  one  in  Rhode  Island.  A  visit  was 
once  paid  to  Norwich,  with  an  arrangement  made 
for  an  address  upon  home  missions  and  Christian 
education  in  the  West.  A  man  of  wealth,  J.  F. 
Slater  (founder  of  the  famous  Slater  fund  admin- 
istered by  the  American  Missionary  Association  for 
the  benefit  of  the  South),  was  a  member  of  the  con- 
gregation, though  absent  that  day.  He  was  vis- 
ited the  next  day,  and  though  asking  for  himself 
to  be  excused  from  doing  aught  for  Carleton's  up- 
building, softened  somewhat  his  refusal  with  the 
information  that  a  sister  of  his  was  present  and 
was  so  moved  by  the  appeal  that,  upon  returning 
to  his  house  she  had  said :  "  I  am  going  to  give 
that  man  a  thousand  dollars."  This  amount  he  paid 
at  once  on  her  behalf.  Besides,  a  son,  W.  A. 


348          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

Slater,  for  several  years  in  succession,  paid  the 
salary  of  one  of  Carleton's  professors.  The  sister 
referred  to  was  Mrs.  E.  S.  Bartlett,  who  happened 
to  be  in  Norwich  just  then  on  a  visit,  whom  for 
some  reason  President  Strong  did  not  then  meet, 
and  whose  home  was  in  an  adjoining  state.  Some 
months  afterwards,  being  in  the  East,  it  was  deemed 
becoming  to  make  her  acquaintance  and  express  ap- 
preciation for  her  worthy  deed.  The  locality 
proved  to  be  three  miles  from  the  railway  station, 
with  no  conveyance  thither  better  than  the  mail 
wagon,  and  hotel  accommodations  only  conspicu- 
ous by  their  absence.  In  the  course  of  their  con- 
versation Mrs.  Bartlett  was  told  of  the  needs  of 
the  college,  and  the  amount  he  was  most  anxious 
to  have  pledged  before  returning  to  Northfield.  It 
was  found  that  she  was  planning  certain  consid- 
erable expenditures  at  home.  But,  could  she  not  do 
that  and  assist  him  besides?  She  hesitated,  then 
thought  that  possibly  what  she  had  in  mind  could 
wait  awhile,  and  finally  said :  "  Well,  I  will  think 
it  over,  and  if  I  conclude  to  do  anything  for  you 
I  will  let  you  know."  Experience  had  taught  him 
that  almost  invariably  this  answer  proved  to  be 
simply  a  polite  negative;  and  so,  before  leaving  the 
little  village  he  inclosed  to  her  an  envelope  ad- 
dressed and  stamped,  with  a  courteous  note  re- 
questing that  whatever  her  decision  might  be,  since 
so  much  depended  upon  it,  he  might  hear  from  her 
within  one  week.  Before  the  time  expired  he  had 


CARLETON'S  BUILDERS  349 

the  great  pleasure  of  receiving  from  Mrs.  Bartlett 
a  draft  on  New  York  for  five  thousand  dollars — 
exactly  the  sum  required  to  make  sure  all  condi- 
tional pledges  and  to  close  successfully  that  finari- 
cial  campaign. 

So  much  for  New  England,  only  a  few  cases  out 
of  scores.  But  in  New  York  and  Brooklyn,  also, 
warm  hearts  and  open  purses  were  found,  which 
nevertheless  must  now  be  passed  by.  In  Newark, 
New  Jersey,  dwelt  Dr.  H.  N.  Brinsmade,  who  earlier 
had  in  Beloit  been  the  future  president's  pastor,  as 
also  of  Mary  Davenport,  now  Mrs.  Strong.  Of 
course  he  was  a  warm  friend  of  the  college,  and 
being  withal  well-to-do,  bestowed  $5,000  at  one 
time  and  $3,000  at  another,  to  which  sums  his  wife 
later  added  $7,000,  the  entire  $15,000  being  in  the 
form  of  an  annuity,  the  interest  being  paid  to  Mrs. 
Brinsmade,  though  she  often  refused  to  receive  a 
part  or  even  the  whole  of  what  was  her  due.  Dying 
in  1900,  she  left  a  legacy  of  $5,000,  and  the  Latin 
professorship  was  put  upon  the  "  Brinsmade 
Foundation." 

Passing  on  to  Philadelphia,  we  find  Dr.  E.  H. 
Williams  the  donor  in  the  eighties  of  $12,000  for 
the  construction  of  Science  Hall  as  a  memorial  of 
a  deceased  son,  and  a  few  years  later  of  $15,000 
more  for  the  purchase  of  the  splendid  telescope 
now  in  use  in  Goodsell  Observatory.  J.  H.  Stick- 
ney  was  a  resident  of  Baltimore,  and  abundant  in 
jgood  works.  A  meeting  with  him,  which  occurred 


350 

during  the  strenuous  canvass  for  $200,000,  resulted 
in  securing  the  promise  of  a  $10,000  legacy,  which 
also  was  promptly  paid  by  his  executors  in  1893. 

Proceeding  westward,  chief  among  Chicago's 
givers  to  Carleton  must  be  put  Dr.  D.  K.  Pearsons, 
the  recent  donor  of  $50,000,  which  also  without  im- 
propriety may  be  esteemed  an  amount  threefold 
greater,  since  without  it  as  a  leverage  the  other 
$100,000  would  not  have  been  secured.  With  his 
let  the  name  of  J.  W.  Scoville  stand,  to  whom  Oak 
Park,  Illinois,  is  indebted  for  its  Scoville  Institute 
and  Beloit  for  its  Scoville  Academy.  His  interest 
in  Carleton  began  soon  after  meeting  President 
S.trong,  when  each  was  a  director  of  Chicago  Theo- 
logical Seminary.  The  similarity  of  their  initials 
helped  bring  them  into  immediate  fellowship.  His 
first  donation  was  for  $5,000  which  was  to  be  held 
until  its  particular  use  should  be  determined  upon. 
After  an  evening  spent  with  him  in  his  home  at 
Pasadena,  California,  President  Strong  received  the 
promise  of  $20,000  to  go  with  the  first  gift,  for  the 
erection  of  a  library  building.  Dying  soon  after 
and  quite  suddenly,  he  left  no  written  evidence  of 
this  pledge;  but  knowing  his  wishes  and  plans,  his 
widow  and  son  generously  made  provision  for  car- 
rying them  out,  as  soon  as  the  estate  could  be  set- 
tled. June  10,  1896,  the  corner-stone  of  Scoville 
Memorial  Hall  was  laid  with  appropriate  cere- 
monies, including  an  admirable  address  by  Dr.  J. 
K.  Hosmer  of  Minneapolis.  In  architectural  beauty 


D.  K.  PEAESONS. 


CARLETON'S  BUILDERS  351 

this  building  far  surpasses  all  others  now  on  the 
campus.* 

As  we  might  well  expect,  Minnesota  givers  are 
altogether  too  numerous  to  mention,  nor,  all  things 
considered,  are  they  a  whit  behind  the  best  for  readi- 
ness to  bestow  upon  this  institution  which  long 
since  they  learned  so  ardently  to  love.  Beginning 
in  1866,  with  now  and  then  a  brief  breathing  spell 
afforded,  they  have  opened  their  hearts  and  their 
purses  again,  and  again,  and  again.  But  these 
scores  and  hundreds  are  so  near  by,  are  for  the  most 
part  still  living,  and  their  good  deeds  are  so  well 
known,  that  only  of  a  very  few  will  any  mention 
be  made.  Let  the  future  historian  bestow  the 
praise  which  is  so  richly  their  due.  Rev.  E.  M. 
Williams  (who,  held  four  pastorates  in  the  state), 
not  only  gave  $6,000  of  the  $16,000  pledged  upon 


*  A  memorial  volume  gives  abundant  proofs  that  Mr.  Sco- 
ville  was  a  man  of  the  choicest  type, — many-sided,  well-bal- 
anced and  always  true  to  his  high  ideals.  Born  of  Puritan  stock 
in  Pompey,  N.  Y.,  October  14,  1825,  bereft  of  his  mother 
when  only  five,  which  event  led  to  the  separation  of  the 
children,  his  early  years  brought  many  hardships ;  but  he 
came  up  out  of  them  all,  into  a  manhood  characterized  always 
by  elevated  thought  and  noble  aims.  He  looked  forward  to 
the  Christian  ministry,  but  ill-health  compelled  him  to 
change  his  plans,  and  to  enter  upon  a  business  life.  Gifted 
with  rare  foresight  and  business  sagacity,  it  was  easy  for 
him  and  a  pleasure  to  make  money,  but  it  was  always  his  aim 
to  use  it  according  to  the  law  of  Christian  stewardship.  He 
was  continually  on  the  outlook  for  the  best  means  of  mak- 
ing his  money  useful.  November  28,  1853,  he  married  Mis's 
Mary  A.  Huggins,  of  Albion,  N.  Y.,  who  still  resides  in  the 
beautiful  home  at  Pasadena,  Cal.  His  death  occurred  there 
November  2,  1893.  His  public  benefactions  had  amounted  to 
more  than  $300,000.  "He  being  dead,  yet  speaketh." 


352          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

that  famous  inauguration  day  in  1870,  but  also 
later  added  similar  sums  until  the  aggregate  reaches 
$30,000.  Judge  E.  S.  Jones  started  the  movement 
in  the  eighties  to  raise  $200,000  with  a  subscription 
of  one-tenth  of  that  amount,  and  at  the  time  of 
his  death  his  benefactions  to  the  college  aggregated 
(  $35>°°°-  In  tne  recent  canvass  for  $100,000,  G.  R. 
j  Lyman  stood  sponsor  for  a  like  fraction  of  the 
i  sum  sought.  W.  H.  Laird  is  another  trustee  who 
subscribed  the  same  amount,  and  at  all  times  has 
stood  ready  to  open  his  purse  to  good.  J.  J.  Hill, 
famous  especially  in  railway  circles,  has  made  two 
gifts  of  $5,000  each,  the  first  one  being  devoted  to 
paying  the  cost  of  the  fine  transit  instrument  in- 
stalled in  the  observatory.  And  in  this  connection 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  W.  Hackett,  of  St.  Paul,  should 
be  mentioned,  he  serving  as  a  trustee  for  many 
years,  and  she  especially  interesting  the  women  of 
the  churches,  with  the  arboretum  among  the  ob- 
jects which  she  sought  to  further.  Beginning  in 
1882  she  gave  $100  annually  for  ten  years.  His 
giving  began  at  the  same  date,  and  before  the  dec- 
ade closed  $2,000  had  been  donated.  In  February  of 
1900  he  pledged  $2,000,  and  December  31  husband 
and  wife  together  pledged  $5,000  additional,  and 
thus  at  the  last  moment  met  Dr.  Pearsons'  condi- 
tions and  so  achieved  success  for  the  canvass. 

Of  Northfield's  citizens  only  two  or  three  will 
here  be  named,  and  of  these  all  have  gone  to  their 
reward.  As  for  Mr.  Goodsell,  to  found  and  to 


CARLETON'S  BUILDERS  353 

foster  a  Christian  college  was  to  him  a  life  purpose 
and  passion.  Without  stint  his  energies  and  finan- 
cial resources  were  expended  during  the  last  dec- 
ade of  his  earthly  career.  For  more  than  two 
decades  Carleton  had  no  friend  more  devoted,  or 
more  ready  to  give  freely,  than  Hiram  Scriver, 
serving  also  as  a  trustee  and  upon  the  executive 
committee.  Deacon  Allen  N.  Nourse,  and  his  wife, 
Mrs.  Mary  E.  Nourse,  must  by  no  means  be  passed 
by  when  mention  is  made  of  the  worthies.  This 
most  estimable  couple  were  "  mere "  fanners, 
among  the  very  plainest  of  the  plain  in  their  tastes 
and  manner  of  life,  and  were  possessed  of  nothing 
at  all  approaching  to  wealth  or  competence  even. 
Nevertheless,  he  deeded  to  the  college  twenty  acres 
of  land  worth  $5,000,  and  after  his  death  she  fol- 
lowed with  a  donation  of  fifty  acres  worth  $3,000, 
and  of  $  1,000  besides  the  last  amount,  to  be  in- 
vested as  a  library  fund. 

The  roll  of  the  givers  must  end  here.  A  cata- 
logue which  contained  all  the  names  would  swell  to 
a  volume,  while  if  all  the  facts  were  set  down,  the 
story  would  be  thrilling  indeed.  As  a  summary, 
recall  what  has  already  been  told  upon  former  pages 
in  connection  with  Father  Seccombe's  first  can- 
vass for  $10,000;  and  what  Dr.  William  Barrows 
has  to  say  about  the  "  hilarious "  outpouring  of 
pledges  at  the  meeting  of  the  conference  in  North- 
field  four  years  later.  Nor  among  the  donors  must 
we  fail  to  include  such  families  as^the  Hunts,  and 


354          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

the  Nortons,  and  the  Watsons  (and  others  in  Cot- 
tage Grove),  and  the  Veblens,  etc.,  which,  not 
being  blessed  with  this  world's  goods  in  great  store, 
sent  in  lieu  thereof,  as  ample  substitute,  a  splendid 
succession  of  boys  and  girls  until  the  supply  was 
exhausted.  These  rank  among  Carleton's  priceless 
jewels.  And  finally,  scattered  all  the  state  over, 
there  is  the  great  company  of  those  who,  since 
they  had  nothing  beyond  to  bestow,  gave  lavishly 
their  loyalty,  their  warm  friendship,  and  their 
prayers. 

What  other  institution  of  learning,  founded 
within  two  generations,  can  tell  a  story  of  giving 
to  match  this  one  whose  meagre  outlines  have 
just  passed  in  hasty  review  ?  An  explanation  of  the 
phenomenon  is  found  in  part  in  the  fact  that  Minne- 
sota is  especially  fortunate  in  its  location,  its  cli- 
mate, its  soil  and  its  population ;  that  Northfield  was 
selected  as  the  seat  of  the  college;  that  a  board  of 
trustees  so  able  and  efficient  was  chosen  and  had 
been  maintained;  and  that  such  a  choice  corps  of 
instructors  (well  endowed,  well  trained  and  fully 
consecrated  to  their  work)  have  filled  the  several 
chairs.  Or,  if  an  explanation  still  more  simple 
and  brief  is  desired,  let  it  be  recalled  that  some 
three-and-thirty  years  ago,  when  the  school  ap- 
peared to  be  really  in  articulo  mortis,  it  occurred 
that  Rev.  Americus  Fuller,  then  a  Rochester  pas- 
tor, suggested  to  Rev.  E.  M.  Williams,  an  Austin 
pastor,  that  one  James  W.  Strong  might  be  one 


CARLETON'S  BUILDERS  355 

able  to  stave  off  the  impending  catastrophe  and 
bring  redemption,  and  Mr.  Williams  passed  the 
suggestion  on  to  the  board  in  session;  whereupon 
the  great  matter  was  discussed,  with  an  election 
ensuing,  and  an  acceptance  and  an  inauguration. 
Nothing  better  can  be  said  concerning  what  has 
followed  directly  from  that  event  than  Dean  Good- 
hue  put  in  words  in  1895,  on  tne  twenty-fifth  anni- 
versary of  the  presidency  of  Dr.  Strong,  though  a 
portion  of  the  closing  sentence  has  already  done 
duty  in  an  earlier  chapter : 

"  Speaking  on  an  occasion  like  this  as  a  repre- 
sentative of  the  faculty,  I  am  sure  they  would  wish 
me  publicly  to  recognize,  as  they  ever  do,  the  great 
value  of  the  services  which  he  has  rendered  to  the 
institution.  His  is  a  unique  position,  the  only  presi- 
dent of  the  college!  Nothing  has  been  done  in  all 
these  years  which  he  has  not  rendered  possible; 
first  by  securing  the  funds  necessary  for  its  ac- 
complishment, and  again  by  chosing  such  co-work- 
ers as  could  contribute  to  the  upbuilding  of  the  in- 
institution.  Having  chosen  to  .his  satisfaction,  he  has 
also  been  able  to  retain  them,  until  now  the  four 
longest  in  service  (of  course  these  figures  now 
need  suitable  revision)  have  a  combined  term  of 
ninety-eight  years,  the  second  four  of  fifty-six  years, 
and  the  third  four  of  thirty-two  years,  thus  secur- 
ing unity  and  continuity  in  plans  and  growth. 
Seven  hundred  thousand  dollars,  or  ninety  dollars  a 
day  for  each  working  day  of  that  period,  is  a  large 


356          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

sum  for  one  man  to  secure  as  benevolent  gifts  to  a 
new  enterprise,  but,  it  is  a  still  greater  achievement 
to  make  dl  these  many  donors  at  once  friends  to 
himself,  to  the  college,  and  to  the  cause  of  Chris- 
tian education  which  it  represents." 


Isabella  Watson.  Arthur  H.  Pearson. 

Danforth.  Horace   Goodhue.      James   W.   Strong.     Louisa  H.   Eichardson. 
George  Huntington.  Frederick   E.   Stratton. 


CARLETON  AND  MISSIONS  357 


CHAPTER  X  1 1. 

CARLETON  AND  MISSIONS. 

Religious  and  Missionary  Life. — The  sacrifice  of 
Carleton's  founders  were  made  not  for  education 
alone,  nor  chiefly ;  not  for  culture  alone,  nor  chiefly ; 
but  for  the  development  of  Christian  character, 
thoroughly  educated  and  truly  cultured.  A  visit  to 
Carleton  to-day,  and  to  many  a  village  in  remote 
parts  of  our  own  country  and  in  Turkey,  India  and 
Japan,  would  prove  that  their  hopes  and  sacrifices 
were  not  in  vain.  The  religious  life  of  the  col- 
lege has  from  the  first,  been  practical  and  whole- 
some. Of  the  religious  associations,  the  Y.  M.  C. 
A.,  organized  in  1873,  and  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.,  organ- 
ized in  1885,  take  the  leading  part,  and  nearly  all 
of  the  students  are  either  active  or  associate  mem- 
bers. Of  the  religious  gatherings  under  their 
charge,  the  Sunday  afternoon  meeting  stands  pre- 
eminent, as  it  has  done  for  years,  ante-dating  by 
seven  years  the  association  itself.  In  October, 
1867,  the  state  conference  met  at  St.  Cloud,  Rev. 
J.  W.  Strong,  then  a  Faribault  pastor,  being  mod- 
erator, and  so  much  interest  in  the  new  college  was 
evinced  by  the  Christian  people  of  the  state,  that 
the  pastor  of  the  Northfield  church,  Rev.  E.  S. 


358          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

Williams,  on  his  return,  consulted  with  Professor 
Goodhue  as  to  what  the  college  could  do 
to  further  meet  the  hopes  of  its  constituency. 
As  a  result,  the  following  Sunday,  October 
13,  1867,  the  Sunday  afternoon  meeting  was 
begun.  It  was  a  stormy  day  and  only  seven  were 
present,  but  from  that  time  it  grew  in  interest  and 
helpfulness.  For  years  it  was  held  in  the  chapel 
of  the  old  Ladies'  Hall — always  crowded  and 
enthusiastic.  It  is  now  held  in  the  assembly  room 
of  the  library,  unless  that  becomes  too  crowded, 
when  it  goes  to  the  chapel  of  Willis  Hall.  It  is 
attended  by  the  students  of  all  classes,  both  col- 
lege and  academy,  and  also  by  members  of  the 
faculty.  The  influence  for  good  which  it  has  had 
cannot  be  described.  There  is  perfect  freedom  and 
simplicity,  so  that  even  new  students  do  not  hesi- 
tate to  take  part,  while  there  are  also  inspiring  and 
helpful  words  from  members  of  the  faculty,  all 
meeting  on  common  ground,  working  for  the  same 
end  and  in  the  same  way.  During  all  the  years  of 
President  Strong's  connection  with  the  college,  he 
has  missed  attendance  scarcely  a  single  Sunday, 
unless  prevented  by  illness  or  absence  from  the  city. 
The  feeling  of  many  an  old  student  is  voiced  in 
what  was  recently  said  by  a  graduate  who  had  re- 
turned for  a  visit :  "  When  I  want  inspiration  for 
the  trying  and  perplexing  duties  of  my  profession, 
I  look  back,  not  to  the  university  where  I  took  my 
professional  course,  but  to  Carleton;  and  the  one 


CARLETON  AND  MISSIONS  359 

thing  at  Carleton  which  stands  out  pre-eminent, 
is  the  Sunday  afternoon  meeting." 

In  addition  to  this,  since  the  spring  of  1874,  the 
associations  have  conducted  each  day,  for  fifteen 
minutes  after  the  close  of  morning  recitations,  the 
noon  meeting.  Of  course  few  students  can  go 
every  day,  but  it  is  attended  more  fully  than  would 
be  thought  possible,  and  there  never  fails  to  be  held 
a  very  helpful  meeting. 

On  Wednesday  evening  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  and  Y. 
W.  C.  A.,  have  separate  meetings,  lasting  about  half 
an  hour. 

The  social  work  of  the  associations  does  not 
need  extended  description.  The  letters  written  to 
new  students  before  coming,  the  train  committees 
to  meet  them,  the  help  to  new  men  in  finding  rooms 
and  means  of  self-support,  the  receptions  on  the 
first  Saturday  evening  of  each  term,  the  informal 
receptions  for  getting  acquainted,  are  not  unlike  the 
work  of  the  associations  in  other  colleges. 

A  special  feature  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  activities 
is  the  student  vacation  work,  in  which  men  from 
the  different  institutions  in  the  state  unite.  This 
was  really  of  Carleton  origin.  In  1890,  C.  E.  Bur- 
ton, a  Carleton  student,  and  State  Secretary  Hil- 
dreth  conferred  as  to  the  feasibility  of  giving  prac- 
tical form  to  the  Christian  discipline  and  activity 
of  the  young  men.  by  going  into  the  smaller  towns 
and  country  districts  of  the  state,  for  evangelistic 
labor.  Three  bands  went  the  first  year  and  after- 


3GO          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

ward  the  number  increased.  While  large  results 
have  followed  this  work  in  greater  interest  in  Bible 
study,  in  uniting  churches  and  in  the  development 
of  Christian  character,  perhaps  one  of  the  most 
valuable  results  is  that  expressed  by  a  banker  of 
the  state :  "  These  young  men  put  before  the  coun- 
try boys  an  example  of  Christian  manhood,  which 
shows  what  young  men  can  make  of  themselves, 
even  under  adverse  circumstances.  I  would  favor 
the  continuance  of  the  work  for  this  reason,  if  for 
no  other." 

The  missionary  interest  of  the  association  has 
been  shown  by  their  raising  the  salary  of  our  col- 
lege representative,  H.  K.  Wingate,  '87,  who  is 
in  charge  of  the  American  school  at  Cesarea,  Tur- 
key, which  has  236  pupils.  He  has  been  doing 
heroic  work  with  little  money,  few  buildings  and 
heavy  responsibility.  His  support  has  now  been 
assumed  by  another  organization,  and  the  asso- 
ciations are  giving  their  contributions  to  the 
"  Carleton  Mission  "  in  China — a  new  enterprise, 
but  one  promising  large  results.  This  movement, 
in  its  inception  and  development  thus  far,  is  largely 
due  to  Watts  O.  Pye  and  Percy  T.  Watson,  both 
of  the  class  of  1903.  Its  objects  are  to  stimulate 
larger  and  more  intelligent  interest  and  more  gen- 
erous giving  at  home,  and  to  secure  increased  power 
in  the  field.  It  is  to  be  under  the  control  of  the 
American  Board.  Its  home-board  of  trustees  is  to 
consist  of  one  member  from  each  contributing 


CARLETON  AND  MISSIONS  361 

church,  one  from  the  Carleton  faculty,  one  from 
the  Carleton  trustees,  three  from  the  Alumni  As- 
sociation, one  from  the  old  students'  union  and 
four  from  the  undergraduates  of  the  college,  each 
college  class  being  represented;  also  Dr.  J.  W. 
Strong  and  Professor  M.  J.  Evans,  as  corporate 
members  of  the  board,  Dr.  Judson  Smith  and,  ex 
officio,  the  president  of  the  college.  Preferably  the 
missionaries  are  to  be  those  who  have  been  stu- 
dents at  Carleton,  though  others  may  be  appointed 
with  the  consent  of  the  executive  committee,  but  all 
are  to  receive  their  appointment  from  the  American 
Board.  The  mission  is  to  be  in  North  China,  but 
the  exact  locality  is  not  yet  determined. 

The  foreign  missionary  roll  of  the  college  is 
neither  short  nor  unimportant.  In  1882  Miss  Emily 
M.  Brown,  '82,  went  to  Japan  to  take  charge  of 
the  girls'  school  at  Kobe.  During  her  administra- 
tion it  became  a  college  and  she  was  its  first  presi- 
dent. After  service  for  eleven  years  she  spent 
twelve  months  in  special  studies  at  Yale,  and  then 
returned  to  Japan;  but  soon  she  was  obliged  by 
ill  health  to  give  up  all  missionary  work.  She  has 
recently  married  James  Harkness  and  is  living  at 
Newport,  N.  D. 

Miss  Susan  Searle,  who  was  a  teacher  at  Carle- 
ton,  went  to  Kobe  in  1883,  and  when  Miss  Brown 
left,  became  president,  which  position  she  still  holds. 
In  1891  Miss  Nina  C.  Stewart,  '88,  went  to 
Okayama,  Japan — later  becoming  a  helper  in  Kobe 


362  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

College.  Her  unusual  facility  in  acquiring  the  lan- 
guage made  her  loss  deeply  felt  when,  in  1897,  ill- 
health  obliged  her  to  return  to  this  country. 

Two  of  the  Kobe  graduates,  Tsune  Watanabe 
and  Hisa  Amaya,  came  to  Carleton  for  further 
study,  and  completed  the  college  course — the  former 
in  '91  and  the  latter  in  '95.  They  returned  to 
Japan  as  missionaries  but  Miss  Amaya  soon  entered 
into  her  final  rest.  Miss  Watanabe  still  remains 
a  teacher  in  the  M.  E.  school  of  Kofu.  Kobe 
college  has  an  attendance  of  207,  and  is  the  highest 
institution  in  the  empire  for  the  education  of 
women.  It  is  wielding  a  great  influence  in  the 
christianizing  of  that  wonderful  country. 

In  Africa,  Carleton  has  only  one  worker,  Miss 
Grace  E.  Herrick,  '95.  For  nearly  six  years  she 
taught  Latin  and  Greek  in  a  Huguenot  seminary  at 
Greytown,  Natal;  but  now  has  charge  of  a  Zulu 
boys'  school  of  about  sixty  pupils  at  Mt.  Silinda. 

The  first  Carleton  missionary  in  India  was  Mrs. 
Abbie  Snell  Burnell,  now  of  Oberlin,  Ohio,  well 
known  for  her  impersonations  of  Hindu  women. 
In  1887  Miss  Anna  L.  Millard  went  to  Bombay, 
where  she  has  charge  of  a  school  for  blind  children 
to  whom  her  gracious  ministrations  have  been 
greatly  blessed.  In  1894  Miss  Etta  F.  Moulton, 
'94,  went  to  Bombay,  later  to  Ahmednager  and 
still  later  to  Wai,  where  her  work  as  treasurer  of 
the  Marathi  Mission,  conducting  schools,  assisting 
in  famine  relief  and  mission  work  of  various  kinds, 


CARLETON  AND  MISSIONS  363 

has  been  remarkably  successful.  Dr.  Margaret 
Lewis  is  in  charge  of  the  M.  E.  Zenana  Mission 
hospital  at  Bareilly,  India.  The  extent  of  her 
work  may  be  seen  from  the  fact  that  in  her  first 
six  months  she  had  ten  thousand  patients,  two 
hundred  operations  and  wrote  eighteen  thousand 
prescriptions. 

Carleton's  largest  number  of  missionaries  has 
been  in  Turkey.  H.  K.  Wingate,  now  of  Cesarea, 
went  to  Marsovan  in  1890  to  teach  for  two  years  in 
Anatolia  College,  whose  professor  of  mathematics, 
Arakel  Sivaslian,  then  came  to  Carleton  for  special 
study,  but  returned  four  years  later,  after  securing, 
by  his  rare  attainments,  the  degree  of  Ph.D.  In 
1893  Frances  C.  Gage,  '90,  and  Martha  A.  King, 
'91,  went  to  Marsovan  to  take  charge  of  the  girls' 
school.  While  Carleton  has  no  "  martyr  mission- 
aries," no  martyr  ever  more  truly  gave  his  life  for 
missions  than  did  Martha  King.  After  her  gradu- 
ation, she  was  for  a  time  her  pastor's  assistant  in 
Minneapolis,  but  in  1893  she  went  with  her  dear 
friend  and  college  companion,  Miss  Gage,  to  work 
in  Marsovan.  In  1895  they  were  joined  by  Miss 
Charlotte  Willard,  a  Carleton  teacher,  and  together 
they  went  through  the  terrible  experiences  incident 
to  the  Turkish  massacres  of  that  year.  Constant 
watchfulness,  because  of  an  attempt  to  fire  their 
buildings,  the  physical  weariness  and  the  nervous 
strain  necessitated  in  caring  for  the  orphans  in 
their  charge,  doubtless  prepared  the  way  for  the 


364          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

fatal  disease  to  which  Miss  King  fell  a  victim, 
February  i,  1896.  Her  influence,  both  at  Carle- 
ton  and  Marsovan,  will  never  cease  to  be  felt.  Miss 
Gage  continued  in  her  work,  experiencing  hardships 
which  cannot  be  told,  until,  broken  in  health,  in 
1898  she  returned  to  this  country;  but  she  still 
cherishes  some  hope  of  yet  resuming  that  service. 
Miss  Willard  is  now  at  the  head  of  the  school.  Dr. 
Sivaslian  is  a  professor  in  Anatolia  College,  and 
Dana  K.  Getchell,  '99,  is  principal  of  the  academy 
connected  with  the  same  institution.  Rev.  Henry 
H.  Riggs,  '96,  has  become  president  of  Euphrates 
College,  at  Harpoot,  which  has  about  twelve  hun- 
dred students.  In  Smyrna,  Samuel  L.  Caldwell, 
'97,  is  professor  of  mathematics  and  physics  in  the 
International  College.  His  wife,  nee  Carrie  Brug- 
gencate,  was  also  a  Carleton  student.  Miss  Cora 
A.  Nason,  '91,  also  worked  several  years  in  Turkey, 
but  is  now  in  this  land. 

Miss  Henrietta  Ruth  Chadbourn  is  at  San  Jose, 
Costa  Rica,  in  the  undenominational  Central 
American  Mission.  The  Carleton  missionaries  in 
China  are  these :  Alfred  Alf  is  at  Canton,  in  con- 
nection with  the  Free  Mission  Friends'  School. 
Carl  J.  Anderson  is  with  the  China  Inland  Mis- 
sion at  Hankow,  where,  in  addition  to  other 
labors,  he  is  publishing  a  paper  in  Chinese.  John 
Sjoquist  is  at  Siang  Yang  with  the  American 
Swedish  Mission.  After  spending  some  time  in 
China  he  took  a  medical  course  at  Rush  Medical 


CARLETON  AND  MISSIONS  365 

College,  Chicago,  and  then  turned  to  China  as  a 
medical  missionary. 

In  home  missions  the  interest  has  been  no  less 
vital.  On  each  table  in  Gridley  Hall  dining  room 
is  a  missionary  barrel  in  which  voluntary  offerings 
are  placed  for  home  missions.  Whenever  a  call 
comes  from  one  of  Carleton's  own  home  mission- 
aries, it  takes  precedence  over  all  other  special  needs. 
Otherwise  the  money  is  sent  to  the  general  treasury. 
The  offerings  have  averaged  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  a  year,  but  sometimes  they  have  been 
as  much  as  two  hundred  dollars. 

Especially  noteworthy  are  Mrs.  Nellie  Kittredge 
Lopp's  years  of  heroic  and  self-denying  labor  at 
Cape  Prince  of  Wales,  Alaska,  where  her  husband 
is  engaged  as  superintendent  of  the  government 
herd  of  reindeer.  Rev.  C.  E.  Ryberg,  '98,  and 
D.  J.  Elliott  are  also  missionaries  in  Alaska. 
Among  the  colored  people  of  the  south  have 
labored  Misses  Mary  A.  Bye,  '85,  and  Dora  M. 
Jones,  '94,  at  Fisk  University;  Miss  Ada  S.  Whit- 
ing, '88  (now  Mrs.  L.  E.  Jepson),  at  Tougaloo. 
At  Tillotson  College,  Texas,  Miss  Olive  M. 
Vaughan,  '04,  who  is  under  appointment  to  go  to 
Turkey  to  take  charge  of  the  girls'  school  located 
at  Had j in.  Among  the  Highlanders  of  the  south 
have  taught  H.  E.  Sargent,  '87,  H.  E.  Carleton,  '91, 
and  Miss  Nellie  Ruddock.  Among  the  American  In- 
dians have  been  Miss  Lucy  M.  Shafer  at  Tahlequah, 
I  .T.,  Robert  D.  Hall,  '01,  and  Richard  S.  Rose,  '04, 


366          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

at  Elbowoods,  N.  D.  Among  the  Mormons  have 
been  Miss  Annabel  Norton,  '83,  W.  Sherman  Hunt, 
'86,  Etta  F.  Hunt,  Jessie  A.  Hunt,  '87  (now  Mrs. 
W.  P.  Milliken),  Miss  Lucia  E.  Danforth,  '88, 
Mabelle  L.  Morgan,  '96,  Serena  Neilson,  'oo.  The 
list  of  those  in  home  missionary  parishes  is  too 
long  to  be  given,  but  is  worthy  of  high  honor. 

One  of  the  unique  features  of  Carleton  mission- 
ary interest  is  the  Huntington  Sunday  School 
Class.  For  twenty  years  Mrs.  Professor  Hunting- 
ton  had  a  large  and  enthusiastic  class  of  college 
girls.  In  1897  they  were  organized  with  a  mem- 
bership of  over  two  hundred  and  fifty,  under  the 
above  name.  They  raise  each  year  something  over 
one  hundred  dollars,  and  divide  the  money  among 
members  of  the  class  who  are  engaged  in  mission 
labor,  to  use  in  any  department  of  their  work 
which  seems  best.  The  society  always  meets  at 
commencement  time,  holding  on  Sunday  a  mission- 
ary meeting  at  which  returned  missionaries  speak 
and  letters  from  workers  are  read.  On  Monday  a 
reception  is  given  at  which  the  business  of  the  year 
is  transacted,  acquaintances  renewed  and  letters 
from  missionaries  are  read.  While  the  object  is 
not  so  much  to  raise  large  sums  of  money  as  to 
arouse  and  sustain  interest  in  the  members  of  the 
class  working  in  mission  fields,  the  response  has 
been  gratifying  in  a  financial  way,  and  real  needs 
which  have  burdened  .the  hearts  of  many  have  thus 
been  met. 


CARLETON  AND  MISSIONS  367 

The  Student  Volunteer  Association  was  organ- 
ized by  Robert  P.  Wilder  in  1887.  It  has  kept 
up  regular  meetings,  and  now  has  a  membership 
of  ten.  The  young  ladies'  missionary  society  con- 
nected directly  with  the  W.  B.  M.  I.  has,  as  a 
unique  feature,  its  work  committee.  The  member- 
ship fee  is  not  money,  but  two  hours  of  work  each 
term,  of  various  kinds,  which  could  be  made  finan- 
cially remunerative.  Recently  this  work  has  been 
partially  transferred  to  the  Y.  W.  C.  Association. 

As  to  the  general  religious  atmosphere  pervading 
the  college  life,  statistics  would  be  unsatisfactory, 
but  the  development  of  Christian  character  has 
been  most  manifest  in  hundreds  of  lives.  More 
than  ninety  per  cent  of  the  graduates  have  gone 
out  active  Christian  workers,  to  the  value  of  whose 
services  many  a  pastor  can  testify.  In  general  it 
may  truly  be  said  that  the  Carleton  graduate,  where- 
ever  he  goes,  becomes  a  center  from  which  right 
moral  influences  radiate.  Carleton  has  never  lost 
sight  of  its  primal  object  and  highest  aim. 


368          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 


CHAPTER  XI 1 1. 

CARLETON  IN  ORATORY  AND  SONG. 

In  the  contests  of  the  Minnesota  State  Oratorical 
Association,  previous  to  the  beginning  of  the  2Oth 
century,  Carleton  won  a  rank  higher  than  any  other 
institution.  The  first  inter-collegiate  contest  in  the 
state  was  held  in  1881.  The  university  had  been 
preparing  for  several  months,  and  at  the  last 
moment,  Carleton  College  decided  to  enter.  So 
short  was  the  time  that  the  home  contest  was  held 
on  Thursday  night,  April  28th,  the  state  contest 
between  Carleton  and  the  university  on  the  next 
night,  and  Owen  Morris,  '81,  who  won  first  place 
on  both  these  occasions,  started  for  Jacksonville, 
Illinois,  on  the  next  day,  April  3Oth,  to  take  part  in 
the  inter-state  contest  there  on  the  4th  of  May. 

Not  long  ago  he  was  asked  to  relate  some  of  his 
experiences  at  that  time.  He  responded  that  the 
time  for  preparation  had  been  so  very  short,  in  the 
first  contest  he  left  out  about  a  page  of  his  oration, 
and  in  the  state  contest,  one  paragraph ;  but  by  the 
time  he  reached  Jacksonville,  he  had  managed  to 
learn  the  whole  of  it.  As  he  entered  that  city 
he  saw  posters  announcing  the  names  of  the  dif- 
ferent states  and  opposite,  the  names  of  the  orators. 


CARLETON  IN  ORATORY  AND  SONG         369 

Opposite  Minnesota,  at  the  very  bottom,  was  found 
"  unknown."  At  Jacksonville  he  met  Wm.  J. 
Bryan,  of  presidential  fame,  who  took  him  to  the 
opera  house  to  show  him  the  size  of  the  room,  and 
made  to  him  some  quite  encouraging  remarks.  The 
night  before  the  contest  a  banquet  was  held  at 
which  the  one  who  stood  second  in  the  state  con- 
test and  was  therefore  a  delegate,  was  to  respond 
to  a  toast;  but  inasmuch  as  he  did  not  appear,  Mr. 
Morris  was  called  upon.  "  Undergraduates,  real 
and  ideal,"  was  the  toast  assigned,  and  the  time 
to  prepare  was  even  shorter  than  that  allowed  for 
his  first  effort.  But  a  few  months  previous,  in 
college  rhetoricals,  he  had  given  an  oration  en- 
titled, "  He  who  is  born  a  ten-cent  piece  will  never 
be  a  shilling;"  and  he  hastily  adapted  that  to  this 
occasion.  His  line  of  thought  was  that  the  real 
student  differs  greatly  from  the  ideal  student; 
that  ttte  fathers  and  mothers  in  their  country  homes, 
deny  themselves  almost  the  necessities  of  life  to 
send  their  darling  John  to  college  with  the  expec- 
tation that  he  will  graduate  a  Webster  or  a  Shake- 
speare, while  the  fact  is  that  if  you  plant  potatoes 
in  the  spring,  you  will  dig  nothing  but  potatoes  in 
the  fall;  and  so  if  you  send  a  potato  of  a  man  to 
college  you  will  have  only  a  potato  of  a  man  to 
graduate;  his  skin  may  be  smoother,  and  his  eyes 
may  not  be  as  sunken,  but  he  will  be  a  human 
potato  just  the  same. 


370 

The  judges  of  the  following  night  were  among 
the  speakers  of  that  evening  and  Mr.  Morris  was 
the  last  one  called  upon.  The  daily  papers  the 
next  morning  reported  that  at  the  banquet  the  best 
wine  had  been  kept  until  the  last  of  the  feast; 
and  Mr.  Morris  rather  suspected  that  his  potato 
story  had  something  to  do  with  securing  for  him 
the  high  place  which  he  obtained  in  the  contest  of 
the  following  night. 

The  State  Oratorical  Association  was  discon- 
tinued for  several  years,  but  was  reorganized  in 
1892.  Since  that  date  Carleton's  share  in  first  and 
second  honors  has  been  as  follows: 

1893.  Fred   M.  Hubbell,  second  place. 

1894.  Charles  E.  Burton,  '95,  first  place. 

1897.  John  W.  Johnson,  '98,  second  place. 

1898.  Ray  A.  Wallace,  '99,  second  place. 

1899.  Ernest  G.  Toan,  '99,  first. 

1900.  E.  C.  A.  Lundeen,  '01,  first. 

1901.  J.  A.  A.  Burnquist,  '02,  first. 

1901.  F.  O.  Leonard,  '01,  second. 

1902.  Chas.  A.  Culver,  '02,  first. 

Ware  Oratorical  Contests, 

In  1900  Mr.  A.  K.  Ware  originated  the  annual  contest  be- 
tween members  of  the  senior  classes  of  Carleton  and  St. 
Olaff.  Carleton  has  won  honors  as  follows: 

1900.  Chas.  H.  Maxwell,  first;  Marion  L.  Burton,  second. 

1901.  E.  C.  A.  Lundeen,  second;  Charles  Hernett,  third. 

1902.  J.  A.  A.  Burnquist,  first;  Charles  A.  Culver,  second. 

1903.  Paul  J.  Wedge,  second. 


CARLETON  IN  ORATORY  AND  SONG        371 


Plymouth   Prises — Stimson    Prize    Debates — Since    1901. 
(If  in  any  year  a  second  prize  has  been  awarded,  the  re- 
cipient is  named  last.) 

Freshman  Class.  Senior  Class. 

1875.  Eugene   S.   Rolfe. 
Augustus  E.  Engstrom. 

1876.  Frank  Cutler. 
Edwin  C.   Norton. 

1877.  Granville  G.  Ames. 

1878.  Owen   Morris. 


Clara  E.  Wakefield. 


1879.  Arcturus  Z.  Conrad. 
Charles   E.   Stallcop. 

1880.  Benjamin   F.   Buck. 
James  W.  McHose. 

1881.  Frank  V.  Stevens. 
Lillie  J.  Barteau. 

1882.  Fred  N.  Dickson. 
Melvina  Cheadle. 

1883.  Calvin  E.  Decker. 

1884.  Lowell  E.  Jepson. 

1885.  John  W.  Wilson. 

1886.  George  H.  Alden. 
Fred   R.   Clow. 

1887.  Bertha  Lincoln. 

1888.  Marion  E.  Fairbank. 
Guy  M.  Wilcox. 

1889.  Willard  B.  Clow. 

1890.  Frances  L.  Fitch. 
Bertha  E.  Brewer. 

1891.  Freeman   E.   Lurton. 
May  H.  Cravath. 

1892.  James   E.  Jenks. 


Mons.  S.  Baker. 
Walter  K.  Mulliken. 
Joseph  A.  Sawyer. 
August  E.   Engstrom. 
Lucian  W.  Chancy,  Jr. 

Junior  Class. 
Abram  J.  Bunker. 
Thomas  Hughes. 
Robert  Von  Tobel,  Jr. 
Seamore  A.  Crandall. 
Arcturus  Z.  Conrad. 
Lynn  C.  Skinner. 
Edwin  K.  Cheadle. 

Lafayette  Bliss. 
Fred  N.  Dickson. 
George  M.  Williamson. 
Joseph  W.  Gunn. 
Everett  E.  Simpson. 
Laura  Willard. 
Henry  K.  Wingate. 
No  junior  debate. 
No  junior  debate. 
Bertha  Lincoln. 

William  S.  Wingate. 
Herbert  E.  Carleton. 

May  E.  Donovan. 

Wilmer  E.  Griffith. 
Elizabeth   M.   Bissell. 


372  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

1893.  Edward  L.   Kimball.  Clarabel  Goodhue. 
James  R.  VanSlyke. 

1894.  Edward  L.  Kannary.  Alice  B.  Caldwell. 
Harriet  E.  Dunton.  Franz  F.  J.  Exner. 

1895.  John  W.  Johnson.  Edward  L.  Kimball. 
Malcolm  Dana. 

1896.  Raymond  A.  Wallace.  James  C.  Morrison. 

Fred  R.  Barnes. 

1897.  Albert  J.  Nason.  Max  J.  Exner. 
Fred  C.  Smith. 

1898.  Elizabeth  Wells.  Oliver  M.  Tiffany. 

Ernest  G.  Toan. 

1899.  Ezra  R.  Edwards.  Marion  L.  Burton. 

1900.  Watts  O.  Pye.  Frank  O.  Leonard. 
W.  Watson  Gould.  Charles  Hernett. 

1901.  Ray  Frazer.  Charles  A.  Culver. 

1902.     (Name  changed  to  Stimson  Prize  Debates.) 

1902.  Harry  S.  Maclntyre.         Joseph  V.  Turner. 

1903.  Ben  F.  Woodward.  Charles  W.  Greening. 

An  Oratorical  Reminiscence. 

One  cannot  begin  lecturing  on  a  favorite  subject 
but  once  in  a  lifetime;  and  one  can  never  have  ex- 
actly the  same  sentiment  about  later  lectures  that 
he  does  about  his  first  ones.  I  never  took  an  in- 
tenser  interest  in  talking  about  economic  principles 
to  any  class  than  I  took  in  telling  my  first  enthusi- 
astic story  of  scientific  development  to  a  class  of 
five  students  who  met  in  the  old  library  of  Carle- 
ton  College.  It  was  a  library  by  courtesy  in  those 
days, — four  thousand  volumes,  more  or  less,  mostly 
useful  for  fuel.  Some  were  afterwards  consigned 
to  this  use,  in  an  unintentional  way;  and  they  per- 
ished while  grving  out  the  only  light  they  Were 


CARLETON  IN  ORATORY  AND  SONG         373 

capable  of  giving.  When  Willis  Hall  burned,  this 
collection  of  literature  was  on  the  second  floor. 
Under  the  direction  of  Professor  Goodhue,  the 
students  made  an  effort  to  rescue  the  books,  and 
did  rescue  the  small  but  valuable  library  known  as 
the  Bryant  collection;  but,  unfortunately,  of  other 
books,  those  that  were  nearest  to  the  door  were 
of  the  fuel  class, — fag  ends  of  old  private  libraries, 
largely  theological,  presented  to  the  college  by 
owners  who  had  more  good  will  than  knowledge 
of  students'  needs.  Many  of  these  were  saved. 
Probably  some  of  them  are  in  the  library  now ;  but 
except  the  Bryant  collection,  most  of  the  books 
that  did  have  value  for  the  use  of  students,  perished. 
One  of  the  rescued  books  was  Simeon's  Skele- 
tons, in  five  large  volumes.  Skeletons  are,  as  a 
rule,  fairly  combustible,  and  these  would  have  gone 
the  way  of  the  other  books  if  they  had  not  chanced 
to  stand  near  the  door.  As  it  was,  the  large  num- 
ber of  skeletons  which  Simeon  possessed  remain  to 
serve  the  present  generation  of  Carletonians.  Pos- 
sibly others  may  be  puzzled  as  I  was  to  know  what 
manner  of  skeletons  these  were  and  are.  If  so,  an 
incident  will  make  their  character  clear.  Holding, 
as  I  did,  the  position  of  professor  of  odds  and  ends, 
I  had  charge  of  the  rhetorical  exercises  of  the  col- 
lege and  also  of  the  library.  One  day  on  the  plat- 
form of  the  chapel,  a  student  delivered  an  "  ora- 
tion "  on  "  The  Difficulty  of  Selecting  Subjects 


374          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

for  Orations,"  in  which  he  said  that  it  would  be 
well  if  the  college  would  provide  a  work  contain- 
ing several  hundred  subjects  with  outlines  of  the 
speeches  which  might  be  made  on  them.  I  informed 
the  audience  that  the  college  had  recently  acquired 
such  a  work,  that  it  was  called  Simeon's  Skeletons, 
and  that  it  was  to  be  found  on  a  certain  shelf.  At 
the  close  of  the  rhetorical  exercises  there  was  a 
general  rush  to  obtain  that  work,  and  those  who 
first  got  it  perceived  that  it  was  full  of  skeletons 
of  sermons  which  the  indolent  or  mentally  needy 
minister  might  fill  out  and  preach, — if  only  he  did 
not  care  to  emulate  the  father  of  his  country  in 
the  matter  of  truthfulness.  As  one  set  of  students 
discovered  the  nature  of  the  volumes  they  quietly 
put  them  in  their  places  on  the  shelves,  and  went 
away  far  enough  to  enjoy  the  sight  of  other  stu- 
dents meeting  a  similar  disappointment  in  their 
quest  of  the  royal  route  to  success  in  oratory. 

With  no  such  aid  Carleton  won  an  enviable  place 
in  the  early  inter-collegiate  oratorical  contests; 
and  clearly  she  needs  now  to  stand  only  for  what 
she  is  and  what  able  and  devoted  labor  have  made 
her.  Her  future  will  be  more  brilliant  than  her 
past;  but  she  will  do  well  if  she  develops  a  finer 
type  of  character  in  the  student-body,  or  secures 
greater  devotion  in  the  corps  of  teachers. 

JOHN  BATES  CLARK. 


CARLETON  IN  ORATORY  AND  SONG         375 

Carleton  Songs. 

SPELLING  SONG. 

Tune,  "Tramp,  Tramp,  Tramp." 

Rally,  Carleton's  old  and  young, 

Loyal  hearts  and  learned  tongue, 
And  be  sure  to  bring  your  alphabet  along. 

To  our  Alma  Mater's  name, 

Sweet  of  sound  and  high  of  fame, 
Raise  a  roaring,  soaring,  orthographic  song. 

CHORUS. 

C-A-R-le  for  a  Carle, 
T-O-tony  for  a  pun. 

Tis  a  pretty  word  to  spell, 

'Tis  a  rousing  word  to  yell, 
And  the  little  end  upon  it  weighs  a  T-O-N. 

There's  a  big  in-i-tial  C, 

And  A-R-L-E-T. 
There's1  a  little  round  O  and  an  N, 

And  the  first  it  stands  for  centum, 

And  the  last  three  for  mo-men-tum, 
As  we  shout  our  jolly  chorus  once  again. 

Chorus— C-A-R-le,  etc. 

C  for  cramming  Chemistree, 

A  for  Analytic  G, 
R,  Rhetoricals;  L,  Logic,  Latin  Lore; 

E  for  English  Lit.  shall  be, 

T  for  Trigonometree, 
O  for  Oh !  and  N  for  noddle  crammed  and  sore. 

Chorus— C-A-R-le,  etc. 

C  for  dear  Co-education, 
A  for  Ardent  Adoration, 
R,  Refusal;  L,  Love's  Labor  thrown  away; 


376          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

E,  Extatic  Expectation, 
T,  Tormenting  Tribulation, 
O,  Oh,  Oscula!  N,  Now  we've  named  the  day. 

Chorus— C-A-R-le,  etc. 

Let  out  orthographic  song 

With  the  ages  roll  along, 
For  old  Carleton's  years  have  only  just  begun; 

Let  our  Alma  Mater's  name 

Ever  higher  rise  in  fame, 
Till  each  precious  little  letter  weighs  a  ton. 

Chorus — C-A-R-le,  etc. 

CARLETON  BELLS. 

O  Carleton  bells,  dear  Carleton  bells1, 
What  wondrous  spirit  with  you  dwells, 

Within  your  vaulted  tower? 
Not  your's  the  death-knell's'  shuddering  note, 
Nor  hoarse  alarm  from  brazen  throat, 
But  glad,  sweet  chimes,  that  blend  and  float, 

To  hail  the  passing  hour. 

CHORUS. 

Ring,  Carleton  bells!    Ring,  dear  Carleton  bells! 
Ring,  Carleton  bells!    Ring,  sweet  Carleton  bells! 

Ring,  bells,  to  mete  the  flying  day, 
And  count  the  mile-stones  of  our  way; 

Ring,  ring  when  tasks  are  done. 
Stern  duty's  call  in  yours  we  greet; 
But  music  speeds  the  loit'ring  feet, 
And  youth  is  brave  and  toil  is  sweet, 

'Neath  storm  or  welt'ring  sun. 

CHORUS. 

Peal,  blessed  bells,  for  toil,  for  rest, 
For  lover's  tryst,  for  parting  guest; 
For  feast,  or  song,  or  prayer. 


CARLETON  IN  ORATORY  AND  SONG        377 

Heart's  pulsing  fondly  to  your  chime, 
Life  moving  to  your  rhythmic  time, 
And  joyous  shout  and  festal  rhyme, 
Your  mystic  sway  declare. 

CHORUS. 

Dear  bells1  of  Carleton,  when  we  part, 
How  tender  to  my  lingering  heart 

Your  plaintive-sweet  farewells! 
Ah,  there's  no  land  so  far  remote, 
But  still  the  well-remembered  note 
O'er  sea,  o'er  land  to  me  shall  float, 

The  chimes  of  Carleton  bells. 

— GEORGE  HUNTINGTON. 


378          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

A   FORECAST. 

The  date  at  which  this  history  ends  marks  the 
close  of  one  epoch  in  Carleton's  career,  and  the 
opening  of  another.  For,  certainly,  a  change  of 
administration  and  leadership  constitutes  an  event 
of  nothing  less  than  prime  importance.  The  work- 
ers come  and  go,  but  the  work  continues.  It  is 
difficult  to  lay  down  the  pen  at  this  point,  and  be- 
cause it  is  not  easy,  with  much  more  than  mere 
curiosity,  to  peer  into  the  future,  the  unseen  years 
to  follow.  And  this,  though  it  behooves  the  his- 
torian to  touch  upon  that  realm  but  modestly  and 
with  brevity,  since  the  role  of  the  seer  does  not  be- 
long to  him.  It  may,  however,  be  permitted,  taking 
the  past  as  a  premise,  to  draw  certain  pertinent  and 
weighty  conclusions.  Besides,  the  author  having 
been  for  years  by  profession  a  preacher,  has  be- 
come quite  accustomed  after  proclaiming  the  truth 
to  make  a  practical  application,  and  sometimes  an 
exhortation.  Such  as  these  being  the  facts  in  the 
case,  what  shall  be  done  about  it?  The  most  im- 
portant use  to  make  of  knowledge  is  to  use  it  as 
a  basis  for  action.  Thus  far  the  look  has  been 
turned  backward,  we  have  been  taking  note  of  how 


A  FORECAST  379 

certain  things  came  to  pass;  and  now,  what  of  the 
perhaps  far  greater  things  which  are  in  store  ? 

But  first,  to  form  a  point  of  departure,  let  us 
recall  for  a  moment  how  really  notable  and  memor- 
able is  the  achievement  already  made.  Nearly  a 
million  dollars  gathered  and  put  to  use,  invested,  ex- 
pended upon  lands,  buildings  and  equipment.  Also 
a  multitude  of  teachers  and  students  brought  to- 
gether, more  than  a  hundred  of  the  one  and  some 
four  thousand  of  the  other.  By  far  the  larger 
proportion  of  the  more  than  four  hundred  gradu- 
ates found  to-day  in  the  (so-called)  higher  occupa- 
tions, filling  various  stations  of  influence;  or  if 
simply  home-makers  instead,  private  citizens  in 
humble  station,  yet  one  and  all  vastly  better,  and 
better  off,  more  abundantly  furnished  with  posses- 
sions which  make  for  character  and  so  for  true 
blessedness.  And  besides,  who  can  estimate  the 
value  of  those  invisible,  but  most  solid  and  enduring 
assets  which  year  by  year  have  been  steadily  ac- 
cumulating in  the  shape  of  respect,  confidence,  ad- 
miration, affection,  bestowed  upon  this  institution; 
the  host  of  devoted  friends  scattered  all  the  land 
over,  across  the  sea,  and  at  the  ends  of  the  earth! 
Taken  in  the  aggregate,  what  a  magnificent  endow- 
ment! And  who  at  Rochester,  or  Minneapolis,  or 
Faribault,  when  discussions  were  held  and  resolu- 
tions were  passed  which  at  length  brought  it  into 
being,  who  then  was  wise  enough,  or  was  wild 


380          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

enough,  to  anticipate  an  outcome  so  illustrious  as 
that  which  we  to-day  behold? 

As  touching  the  future,  first  of  all  it  may  be 
affirmed  confidently  and  with  emphasis:  There 
is  not  the  least  reason  to  fear  that  the  toilers  of 
the  next  generation,  or  of  any  future  generation, 
will  ever  accomplish  aught  which  will  belittle  the 
excellence  and  eclipse  the  fame  of  Carleton's 
founders  and  early  builders.  Giving,  whether  on 
the  part  of  trustees,  instructors,  or  donors  of 
money,  will  be  no  more  lavish,  or  whole-souled, 
or  be  attended  with  greater  self-denial.  No  service 
rendered  will  ever  be  fuller  of  consecration  and 
devotion.  The  Galpins  and  the  Goodsells,  the  Sec- 
combes  and  the  Shedds,  the  Barnes  and  the  Browns, 
the  Burts  and  the  Halls,  can  have  no  rivals.  The 
task  of  laying  foundations  broad  and  deep,  solid 
and  lasting,  is  always  of  necessity  most  arduous, 
and  demands  the  highest  qualities  of  both  mind 
and  heart;  and  fittingly  those  to  whom  it  is  ap- 
pointed to  perform  such  service  are  always  held 
in  highest  esteem,  while  their  names  are  long  held 
in  memory.  The  first  generation  of  teachers  also 
belongs  to  the  same  glorious  company  of  the  ex- 
plorers and  pioneers,  who  struck  out  the  paths  and 
blazed  the  way.  In  performing  the  part  assigned 
to  such,  distinguished  faith  wals  called  for,  and 
'patient  endurance,  courage  and  heroism,  readiness 
to  risk  all,  in  short  such  qualities  as  common  mor- 
tals do  not  possess.  These  were  the  creators,  they 


A  FORECAST  381 

brought  the  institution  into  being,  gave  to  it  a 
name  and  place,  and  launched  it  upon  a  stately  and 
honored  career.  An  order  of  endowments  less 
lofty  will  quite  well  suffice  to  occupy  their  place, 
take  up  their  work,  and  carry  it  on  to  completion. 
While  it  is  every  way  well  to  be  thoroughly  in- 
formed concerning  the  past,  well  to  be  familiar  with 
the  beginnings  and  the  various  stages  of  growth,  it 
is  if  possible  more  important  to  keep  constantly  in 
mind  the  fact  that  nothing  has  in  the  fullest  sense 
been  finished  as  yet,  but  at  the  most  only  an  excel- 
lent and  encouraging  beginning  has  been  made.  A 
beginning,  however,  no  matter  how  perfect,  has 
but  slight  significance  merely  in  itself  considered, 
and  its  value  depends  largely  upon  that  to  which 
it  leads.  For  the  friends  of  the  college,  therefore, 
the  principal  theme  for  contemplation  relates  far 
less  to  the  past  or  the  present  than  to  the  years 
to  come.  This  is  no  time  to  stand  still,  merely  to 
look  about,  to  rub  the  hands  with  sweet  satisfac- 
tion (is  not  this  great  Babylon  which  I  have  built). 
Rather  the  thought,  and  l9ok,  and  step  are  to  be 
forward  and  upward.  Strenuous  endeavor  is  in 
order,  for  the  structure  is  far  from  complete.  Im- 
provement and  enlargement  at  many  points  are 
imperatively  demanded.  From  the  seven  buildings 
the  steady  movement  must  be  towards  a  score  dot- 
ting the  campus  in  due  time.  Twice  three  hundred 
students  is  a  goal  not  unreasonable  to  stand  in  the 
mind's  eye,  with  energy,  skill,  and  determination  to 


382 

match.  Likewise  a  teaching  force  double  the  size 
of  the  present  one  may  well  be  expected  and  dili- 
gently sought  for  at  a  date  not  remote.  And  the 
approaching  semi-centennial  (be  it  fifty  years  reck- 
oned from  '67,  or  '66,  or  even  '64)  should  cer- 
tainly see  the  endowment  fund  standing  at  a  round 
half-million — that  is,  $500,000  in  50  years;  and 
how  handsomely  the  figures  match — and  that  only 
as  a  stepping  stone  to  a  round  million  at  the  very 
soonest.  Nor  should  giving  of  any  other  kind  be 
in  the  least  diminished.  Generous  bestowal  in 
various  realms  will  be  an  absolute  necessity  so  long 
as  the  college  exists.  Should  the  spirit  of  sacrifice 
ever  die  out,  the  doom  of  Carleton  would  be  sealed 
and  the  final  catastrophe  would  be  near. 

But  other  changes  are  also  in  order.  The  be- 
ginning was  made  in  the  nineteenth  century,  but 
the  twentieth  century  is  now  fairly  on  its  way.  In 
a  sense  it  is  true  that  there  is  no  occasion  for  trans- 
formation in  any  quarter.  For  substance  the  fath- 
ers were  wise  in  their  generation,  and  therefore 
did  their  work  well.  In  their  planning  they  were 
truly  rational  and  truly  Christian.  Their  ideals 
were  noble  and  lofty.  They  did  nothing  to  be 
ashamed  of  or  to  be  apologized  for,  nothing  which 
their  successors  have  occasion  to  live  down  or  for- 
get. Those  ideals  are  by  all  means  to  be  carefully 
cherished.  To  ignore  the  past,  to  break  with  it, 
run  counter  to  it,  or  endeavor  to  undo  it,  would 
be  a  sad  and  ruinous  mistake ;  a  folly  nigh  to  crim- 


A  FORECAST  383 

inal.  Building  is  indeed  in  order,  but  upon  founda- 
tions already  laid.  Novelties  or  fads,  from  what- 
ever source  derived,  are  to  have  no  place.  It  is 
also  true,  however,  that  with  new  men,  not  improp- 
erly new  measures  come.  An  institution  in  order 
to  prosper  must  needs  be  kept  abreast  with  the 
times.  The  college  of  to-day  is  by  no  means  to  be 
a  fac-simile  of  the  college  of  a  hundred  years  ago, 
or  of  fifty.  Of  necessity  there  is  a  "  moving  on 
from  state  to  state."  Ruts  are  no  more  sacred  or 
more  profitable  in  education  than  elsewhere.  It  is 
not  enough  to  do  evermore  merely  as  trie  fathers 
did,  walking  thus  always  and  only  according  to 
precedent.  Rather  we  are  to  learn  from  them  how 
to  outdo  them.  The  situation  is  to  be  canvassed 
often  and  most  carefully,  with  adjustment  made 
to  the  ever  changing  environment,  be  it  financial, 
social,  intellectual  or  religious.  It  is  at  this  point 
that  profoundest  wisdom  is  required,  and  men  are 
needed  who  "  have  understanding  of  the  times, 
to  know  what  Israel  ought  to  do."  The  early  days 
were  plain  and  plebeian  because  primitive,  and 
whether  as  to  people,  manners,  schools,  churches, 
everything.  But  now  society  is  much  farther  ad- 
vanced. Ladies'  Hall,  the  original  Willis  Hall, 
even  the  Old  Brown  Church,  were  well  enough  in 
their  time,  but  would  be  intolerable  now,  a  source 
of  demoralization,  when  comeliness,  good  architec- 
ture, all  manner  of  creature  comforts  abound. 
Williams  Hall,  overcrowded  as  it  is,  works  mischief 


384          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

increasingly.  Hitherto,  for  a  college  building  to 
cost,  even  with  equipment  and  endowment,  $200,- 
ooo,  or  any  such  figure,  would  have  approached 
perilously  near  to  the  extravagant,  the  illegitimate, 
the  irrational;  but  now  would  be  eminently  wise 
and  is  necessary.  So  of  a  new  and  well  appointed 
gymnasium.  Then,  further,  the  very  idea  of  educa- 
tion, what  its  aim  should  be,  of  what  is  is  consti- 
tion,  and  by  what  instrumentalities  it  is  to  be 
attained,  has  developed  astonishingly  within  the 
space  of  twenty  years.  What  divisions  and  subdi- 
visions in  the  several  departments,  with  electives 
well-nigh  endless!  All  which  changes  combine  to 
increase  the  number  of  instructors  required,  also 
with  larger  salaries  included.  But,  more  than  keep- 
ing pace  with  these  greatly  enlarged  demands,  the 
population  of  Minnesota  and  the  northwest  is 
rapidly  increasing,  while  wealth  is  rapidly  piling 
up,  millions  upon  millions,  on  every  hand. 

The  task  yet  remaining  in  connection  with  Carle- 
ton  College  is  one  therefore  which  for  long  years 
to  come  will  call  for  great  faith,  and  courage,  and 
venturesomeness  on  the  part  o'f  its  executive  head, 
its  trustees,  faculty,  and  all  its  friends.  But,  cer- 
tainly, with  such  a  past,  such  staggering  difficulties 
met  and  overcome,  such  wondrous  deliverances 
from  seemingly  deadly  perils,  the  future  can  wisely 
be  faced  without  fear,  even  with  unfaltering  ex- 
pectation of  long-continued  and  shining  success. 
For  the  same  Providence  which  has  so  clearly  pre- 


A  FORECAST  385 

sided  over  its  career  can  confidently  be  counted 
upon  in  all  days  to  come.  Verily,  the  same  heavenly 
Leader,  who  in  the  first  decades  bade  the  found- 
ers go  forward,  not  seldom  into  the  thick  darkness 
and  through  the  desert,  will  continue  to  defend  and 
guide  even  unto  the  end. 


386         HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 


HISTORICAL  ADDRESS. 

AFTER  TWENTY-FIVE   YEARS. 

[No  apology  is  needed  for  devoting  the  conclud- 
ing pages  of  this  volume  to  a  production  from  the 
pen  of  President  Strong.  Much  space  has  properly 
been  given  to  what  he  has  done,  but  little  to  what 
he  has  been  saying  during  the  years  of  his  admin- 
istration. And  nothing  more  appropriate  could  be 
desired  than  a  Baccalaureate  Discourse  delivered  by 
him  at  the  Quarter-Centennial  Anniversary  of  the 
founding  of  the  College,  June  9,  1895.] 

John  4:6 — "Now  Jacob's  Well  Was  There." 

A  simple  historic  record,  the  statement  of  a  com- 
monplace fact,  aparently  unimportant,  yet  rich  in 
suggestions — a  mine  of  meaning. 

For  nearly  two  thousand  years  Jacob  had  been 
dead,  but  his  work  remained.  His  well  had  not 
only  blessed  himself  and  his  children,  their  flocks 
and  their  herds,  but  also  all  the  generations  fol- 
lowing, before  Jesus  "  being  wearied  with  his  jour- 
ney sat  thus  on  the  well."  And  for  fifty  genera- 
tions since,  countless  myriads  of  Jews  and  Gentiles, 
of  Canaanites  and  strangers,  of  pilgrims  and  trav- 
elers, have  drunk  at  this  fountain  of  refreshment. 
Every  day  of  all  these  thousands  of  years,  this  one 
man's  thought  and  toil  have  brought  rest  and 


HISTORICAL  ADDRESS  387 

strength  to  his  fellow  men;  and  still  the  well  re- 
mains,— not  impoverished  but  made  better  by  its 
giving, — a  source  of  perennial  and  ever-widening 
blessing. 

Here  is  the  symbol  of  an  institution  of  learning. 
Such  an  abiding  source  of  blessing,  ever  extend- 
ing its  power  for  good,  is  the  Christian  college. 
But  such  a  college  is  vastly  more  than  a  well, 
hedged  about,  cribbed  or  cabined.  It  is  a  fountain 
of  life-giving  waters.  As  Solomon  says,  "  The 
well-spring  of  wisdom  is  as  a  flowing  brook."  The 
streams  of  such  a  fountain  are  ever  flowing,  not 
merely  for  man's  physical  need,  or  the  world's 
material  want,  but  for  intellectual  quickening  and 
spiritual  enrichment.  They  develop  .and  strengthen 
the  individual;  they  purify  and  elevate  human 
society,  and  in  the  realization  of  the  divine  ideal 
of  character,  they  bless  the  whole  world.  Less 
than  a  generation  ago  such  a  fountain  was 
opened  here.  How  brief  the  period!  Yet  streams 
from  this  fountain  have  already  flowed  around  the 
globe.  Not  in  America  alone,  but  in  Japan,  in 
China,  in  India,  in  Turkey  and  in  the  islands  of  the 
sea  they  have  quickened  spiritual  verdure  and  en- 
riched spiritual  life. 

This  quarter-centennial  of  our  collegiate  work 
dictates  our  theme.  I  must  turn  aside  from  the 
usual  type  of  Baccalaureate  discourse,  and  present 
this  morning  such  historic  review  as  the  time  may 
allow,  as  may  seem  to  befit  the  occasion  and  as 


388          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

may  serve  in  its  lessons  to  stimulate  enthusiasm 
for  the  future.  Obviou.sly  very  much,  both  of  fact 
and  of  illustrative  incident,  belonging  to  a  full  his- 
tory, such  as  waits  to  be  written,  must  be  omitted. 
To  include  in  one  brief  hour  even  a  tithe  of  it  all, 
would  require  the  skill  of  one  of  the  Arabian 
genii,  who,  you  remember,  could  fold  his  huge  tent 
into  the  compass  of  a  lady's  cambric  handkerchief 
and,  as  quickly  as  the  shadow  of  a  morning  cloud, 
be  gone. 

Four  points  certainly  ought  to  be  considered, 
even  though  only  in  outline,  ist.  The  religious 
genesis  of  our  college.  2d.  The  moral  and  educa- 
tional standard  of  its  work.  3rd.  Its  Christian 
fruitage.  4th.  .  Its  outlook  toward  the  future.  Its 
origin,  its  standards,  its  fruitage,  its  outlook. 

I.  ITS  ORIGIN.  Knickerbocker  was  certainly 
philosophical  in  beginning  his  history  of  New  York 
with  the  creation.  Where  shall  we  begin?  In  fact 
the  seeds  of  this  college  were  planted  long  before 
the  pilgrims  landed  on  Plymouth  Rock.  Its  history 
runs  back  to  those  principles  which  are  older  than 
the  Reformation,  older  than  the  Augustinean  age. 
They  root  themselves  in  the  very  soil  out  of  which 
Christianity  springs;  for,  like  every  college  in  our 
land,  from  Harvard  to  Whitman,  Carleton  was 
planted  in  the  garden  of  the  church,  and  is  the 
product  of  a  distinctly  Christian  civilization.  Our 
colleges  are  all  daughters  of  a  religious  parentage. 
The  motto  of  any  one  of  them  might  have  been 


HISTORICAL  ADDRESS  389 

that  of  Harvard  the  oldest,  "  Christo  et  Ecclesiae," 
"  For  Christ  and  the  Church,"  or  that  of  one  of  the 
youngest,  "  Christo  duce."  Everywhere  and  al- 
ways religious  zeal  united  with  an  ardent  love  of 
learning  has  been  the  spring  of  their  activity. 
Even  if  this  should  be  denied  of  some  of  them, 
certainly  Carleton  has  been  no  exception.  Its  be- 
ginning is  too  recent  to  be  obscure,  and  all  testi- 
mony affirms  that  it  was  born  of  prayer  and  nur- 
tured in  the  spirit  of  devotion.  This  has  been  the 
hidden  secret  of  its  power.  It  was  not  founded 
for  material  gains  or  to  promote  sectarian  interests, 
but  to  extend  in  the  world  the  Kingdom  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  To  deny  this  would  be  to  deny 
the  primal  fact  of  our  history.  From  the  first, 
God's  blessing  has  been  earnestly  sought,  and  at 
every  step  His  leading  has  been  manifest. 

Moved  by  religious  motives,  as  early  as  August, 
1858,  Mr.  Charles  M.  Goodsell,  rightly  named,  as 
yonder  memorial  windows  declare,  "  The  Founder 
of  Carleton  College,"  wrote  from  Lawrence,  111., 
to  our  superintendent  of  home  missions,  asking  if 
the  time  had  not  come  to  found  in  Minnesota  a 
Christian  college,  and  saying  that  the  Lord  had 
given  him  a  few  thousand  dollars  which  he  had 
consecrated  to  be  used  as  a  pecuniary  nucleus  of 
such  a  college  whenever  and  wherever  the  Lord  in 
His  providence  should  open  the  way  for  it.  Mr. 
Hall  replied  that  most  of  our  thirty-five  churches 
were  aided  by  the  Home  Missionary  Society  and 


390          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

were  then  too  few  and  too  feeble  to  undertake 
so  important  a  work.  Not  discouraged,  Mr.  Good- 
sell  came  the  next  year  to  look  over  the  ground, 
and  decided  to  locate  in  Northfield,  and  await 
Providential  guidance.  Our  civil  war  soon  came 
on  and  postponed  action  for  years. 

In  other  minds,  also,  the  idea  of  a  college  had 
long  been  cherished  both  as  a  hope  and  as  a  pur- 
pose. How  could  it  be  otherwise  in  a  state  set- 
tled by  men  descended  from  the  Pilgrims  and  im- 
bued with  the  spirit  of  their  fathers  and  educated 
in  the  religious  atmosphere  which  pervaded  New 
England  fifty  years  ago?  They  recognized  that 
broad  truth  which  Prussia  has  made  her  state 
maxim,  "  Whatever  you  would  have  appear  in 
the  life  of  the  nation  you  must  put  into  your 
schools." 

The  oldest  child  of  the  Pilgrims  born  on  Ameri- 
can soil  was  only  just  entering  his  teens  when 
Harvard  College  was  founded.  First  the  church, 
then  the  school,  then  the  college.  That  was  the 
order,  and  they  came  in  rapid  succession.  Worthy 
sons  of  noble  sires,  those  pioneer  ministers  of  our 
state,  Richard  Hall,  Charles  Seccombe,  Charles 
Shedd,  Charles  Galpin,  Edward  Brown,  David 
Burt  and  J.  R.  Barnes,  enthusiastic  members  of 
"  the  denomination  that  educates,"  were  eagerly 
waiting  for  the  day  when  the  first  steps  could  be 
wisely  taken.  The  colony  which  settled  Zumbrota, 
inspired  doubtless  by  Father  Shedd,  that  true  type 


HISTORICAL  ADDRESS  391 

of  the  scholarly  Puritan,  many  years  at  the  head 
of  one  of  New  England's  famous  academies,  pro- 
posed a  college  as  a  part  of  their  original  plan. 
Father  Brown,  who  says  that  he  came  to  the  state 
with  "college  on  the  brain,"  relates  how,  with  his 
delegate  from  Zumbrota,  he  planned  to  bring  the 
subject  before  the  state  association  in  1864.  Upon 
meeting  in  Rochester  that  year  it  was  learned  that 
Mr.  Goodsell  and  Mr.  Burt  had  also  the  same  pur- 
pose in  mind.  Mr.  Willey  affirms  that  Mr.  Good- 
sell  had  spent  a  whole  night  in  prayer  for  this  ob- 
ject. Thus  God  seemed  to  be  moving  upon  all 
hearts.  His  appointed  hour  had  come.  The  time 
was  ripe.  Mr.  Goodsell  was  made  moderator,  and 
in  accordance  with  a  resolution  drawn  by  Mr. 
Brown,  presented  by  Mr.  Burt,  advocated  by  several 
and  unanimously  adopted,  a  committee  of  five  busi- 
ness men  was  appointed  to  inquire  "  What  can  be 
done  towards  founding  a  college  in  our  state?" 
Mr.  Goodsell  was  chairman  of  this  committee. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  report  in  detail  the 
movements  of  the  next  two  years — the  prayerful 
meetings  of  the  committee,  the  conference  action, 
the  public  discussions  in  various  places,  and  the 
bids  made  by  Zumbrota,  Mantorville,  Cottage 
Grove,  Lake  City  and  Northfield  in  their  competi- 
tion for  the  proposed  college; — but  time  will  not 
permit.  We  must  hasten  at  once  to  the  decisive 
conference-action  at  Faribault,  October,  1866.  At 
that  time  the  committee  made  a  detailed  report; 


392          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

and  after  full  and  prayerful  deliberation  it  was 
voted  to  accept  Northfield's  offer  and  name  the 
institution  "  Northfield  College."  That  offer  was  a 
cash  subscription  of  $18,579  and  twenty  acres  of 
land  within  a  short  distance  of  the  center  of  the 
town.  One  half  of  this  land  was  given  by  Mr. 
Goodsell  and  one-half  by  Mr.  Charles  A.  Wheaton, 
an  earnest  friend  of  the  college  from  the  beginning, 
and  a  liberal  donor.  Repeated  gifts  came  from 
him  and  his  family.  Among  the  generous  con- 
tributors who  have  gone  to  their  reward  were 
Hiram  Scriver,  Allen  Nourse,  Dr.  Moses  Porter, 
Dr.  H.  L.  Coon  and  S.  P.  Stewart.  The  donors 
still  living  are  so  many  that  I  forbear  to  mention 
any,  except  the  enthusiastic  young  pastor,  Edwin 
Sidney  Williams,  always  such  a  leader  in  good 
things.  A  telegram  announced  the  conference  de- 
cision to  locate  the  college  here,  and  at  once  the 
whole  town  was  astir.  Bells  were  rung,  and  the 
citizens  indulged  in  a  general  jubilation.  The  con- 
ference also  elected  a  board  of  twenty  trustees,  of 
whom  only  M.  W.  Skinner  and  one  other  are  now 
in  office,  and  they  were  instructed  to  provide  in 
their  articles  of  incorporation  that  three-fourths  of 
their  number  should  always  be  members  of  Congre- 
gational churches.  But  this,  as  was  distinctly  un- 
derstood and  affirmed,  was  not  in  the  interest  of 
sectarianism,  but  only  to  insure  an  official  control 
favorable  to  evangelical  religion.  That  was  the 
essential  point.  A  resolution  offered  by  Mr.  S.  W. 


HISTORICAL  ADDRESS  393 

Furber,  was  adopted,  pledging  our  churches  in  the 
state  in  the  sum  of  $10,000,  to  be  raised  that  year, 
as  tangible  evidence  of  the  interest  felt  in  the  great 
work.  That  very  day,  October  I3th,  in  the  parlor 
of  Deacon  James  Gibson,  the  board  organized  and 
the  first  act  was  an  act  of  prayer  led  by  the  senior 
member,  Rev.  Geo.  Spaulding.  Mr.  Seccombe 
soon  began  a  financial  canvass  of  the  state.  How 
difficult  it  then  was  to  raise  money  among  the 
poor  churches  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that 
notes  were  taken  for  one  dollar,  and  even  for 
twenty-five  cents,  payable  in  three  annual  install- 
ments. Some  of  these  notes,  bearing  a  five-cent 
government  stamp,  as  was  then  required,  are  still 
in  our  archives,  valuable,  as  curiosities.  Those 
were  days  of  feeble  beginnings,  but  of  large  faith 
and  of  self-sacrificing  effort.  Children  as  well  as 
adults  were  eager  to  help.  The  first  money  ever 
received  into  the  treasury  was,  Mr.  Goodsell  said, 
from  a  little  boy  who  earned  it,  I  believe,  by  selling 
popped  corn.  The  first  money  paid  on  those  notes 
taken  by  Mr.  Seccombe  was  from  a  little  girl  in 
Clearwater.  He  relates  that  in  Anoka  a  little  girl 
brought  to  him  what  were  then  exceedingly  scarce, 
two  silver  half-dollars,  which  she  had  received  in 
her  infancy  and  held  as  almost  sacred  keepsakes. 
He  was  reluctant  to  receive  them  but  she  insisted. 
Afterward  when  he  told  their  story  in  Winona, 
several  dollars  were  given  for  them  and  they  were 
returned  to  the  child.  But  she  still  refused  them, 


394          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

saying  that  she  wished  herself  to  contribute  so 
much  to  the  founding  of  the  college.  One  of  these 
coins  is  still  preserved  as  a  memento  of  the  early 
interest  taken  in  our  college  by  the  children  of  the 
state. 

The  legal  organization  was  effected  by  signing 
articles  of  incorporation  at  Mr.  Goodsell's  house 
November  14,  1866.  The  money  raised  by  Mr. 
Seccombe  was  devoted  to  the  purchase  and  equip- 
ment of  our  first  building,  once  the  American 
Hotel,  afterward  the  old  Ladies'  Hall,  now  a 
fragrant  memory.  It  stood  directly  north  of  our 
new  parsonage,  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  Mr. 
Lord's  house.  In  that  building  September  25,  1867, 
a  preparatory  school  was  opened  by  Horace  Good- 
hue,  Jr.,  then  a  recent  graduate  of  Dartmouth  Col- 
lege. His  pupils  increased  during  the  first  term 
from  twenty-three  to  forty-seven. 

Those  three  years  of  preparatory  work,  though 
so  important,  can  now  have  only  a  word.  God's 
blessing  constantly  attended  the  faithful  work  done. 
Twenty-five  hopeful  conversions  are  recorded  dur- 
ing the  first  two  years.  The  educational  standard 
was  high  but  resources  were  low.  Needs  were  im- 
perative but  money  was  scarce  and  the  outlook  was 
very  dark.  Mr.  Goodsell  failed  in  health  and  in 
hope,  and  believing  the  great  object  of  his  life  ut- 
terly lost,  died  almost  heart-broken  May  3,  1869. 
When  later  prosperity  came,  his  widow  said  with 
quivering  lips,  "  O  that  he  might  have  lived  to  see 


HISTORICAL  ADDRESS  395 

this ! "  Many  friends  who  had  been  hopeful  be- 
came discouraged  at  that  time,  and  payments  on 
subscriptions  nearly  ceased.  But  not  all  was  lost. 
Some  still  hoped  and  prayed  and  worked,  believing 
that  a  college  so  born  of  prayer,  so  consecrated  by 
the  sacrifices  of  godly  men  and  women,  so  signally 
blessed  of  God  in  its  spiritual  work,  would  yet 
become  an  effective  power  for  the  Master's  King- 
dom, and  so  the  doors  were  not  closed.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1870,  besides  forty-two  other  students, 
four  freshmen  were  enrolled.  This  marks  the  be- 
ginning of  collegiate  life,  but  those  were  the  days 
of  the  deepest  gloom  in  our  history.  The  clouds 
were  black  and  threatening.  A  night  of  thick  dark- 
ness seemed  settling  about  us.  There  was  need  of 
sunshine,  of  new  hope,  of  renewed  faith,  of  still 
richer  spiritual  blessing.  All  these  came  with  that 
memorable  day  in  October,  1870,  when  again  the 
representatives  of  the  churches  were  assembled  in 
the  Old  Brown  Church,  and  once  more  prayer- 
fully consecrated  their  gifts  and  pledged  their  ef- 
forts to  carry  forward  this  needed  work.  They 
seemed  inspired  by  the  spirit  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers 
themselves,  whose  sublime  motive  is  recorded  as 
"  the  great  hope  and  inward  zeal  of  laying  some 
foundation  for  the  advancing  of  the  gospel  of  the 
Kingdom  of  Christ  in  these  remote  parts  of  the 
world,  though  they  themselves  should  be  but  as 
stepping  stones  to  others."  Immortal  words! 
Several  here  present  to-day  remember,  and  will 


396          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

never  forget,  the  incidents  of  that  crucial  day  in 
bur  history,  when  the  gifts  from  Eastern  secre- 
taries, Drs.  Ray  Palmer,  A.  H.  Clapp,  and  Wm. 
Barrows,  and  from  men  of  Yale,  Amherst,  Will- 
iams and  Dartmouth  flowed  into  the  treasury  with 
those  from  the  missionaries  on  the  frontier  and  the 
pioneer  laborers  on  our  Western  prairies.  Seven- 
teen of  the  donors  were  ministers,  some  of  them 
home  missionaries  living  in  log  houses;  some  were 
students  struggling  to  pay  their  own  way;  some 
were  parents  who  would  thus  help  provide  facili- 
ties for  their  children  still  in  infancy.  One,  still 
with  us,  gave  the  little  savings  of  a  son  whom  he 
had  hoped  to  educate  here,  but  God  had  called  him 
to  the  education  of  heaven.  One  donor,  Rev.  Dr. 
J.  K.  Greene,  of  Constantinople,  was  a  foreign 
missionary,  seeking  in  our  climate,  restoration  of 
lost  health.  It  is  a  fact  pleasing  to  me  to  remem- 
ber that  a  receipt  for  his  gift  bore  my  first  official 
signature.  Thus  at  the  very  beginning  was  illus- 
trated the  oneness  of  the  work  of  home  missions 
and  foreign  missions.  It  is  his  son,  let  me  add, 
Rev.  Frederick  D.  Greene,  the  youngest  child  ever 
received  by  me  as  a  pastor  into  the  church,  whose 
recent  book  on  the  Armenian  massacres  is  stirring 
the  civilized  world.  The  gifts  of  that  day,  ranging 
from  two  dollars  to  one  of  six  thousand  dollars, 
from  a  member  of  our  board,  afterwards  a  beloved 
pastor  of  this  church,  aggregated  $16,446.  Those 
pledges,  written  on  scraps  of  paper  of  various  sizes 


HISTORICAL  ADDRESS  397 

and  shapes  and  hues,  are  still  preserved  as  sacred 
mementoes  of  a  meeting  rarely  paralleled  in  any 
land ;  a  meeting  which  those  wise  men  from  the  East 
declared  the  most  wonderful  they  had  ever  attended. 
They  were  amazed  at  the  self-sacrificing  benevo- 
lence, the  breadth  of  view,  the  wise  forecasting  of 
these  pioneer  men  and  women.  The  divine  power 
was  there — the  power  of  a  newly  regenerated  life. 
That  was. the  day  of  our  second  birth.  Henceforth 
our  young  college  was  to  move  with  firmer  step  and 
still  broader  vision  and  under  a  deeper  spiritual 
impulse  towards  the  true  ideal. 

The  details  of  our  subsequent  history  cannot 
now  be  traced,  but  this  central  fact  must  not  be 
omitted.  The  thought  of  our  noble  benefactor,  Mr. 
Carleton,  was  soon  providentially  turned  to  us ;  and 
then  came,  in  the  spring  of  1871,  without  one  syl- 
lable of  condition  in  any  form,  $50,000,  the  largest 
gift  which  had  at  that  time  ever  been  received  by 
any  Western  college.  Who  can  describe  the  joy 
which  then  filled  all  our  hearts  ?  Prayer  was  turned 
into  praise.  Our  tears  were  tears  of  gladness.  The 
darkness  had  suddenly  disappeared.  A  glorious  day 
had  dawned.  A  congratulatory  meeting  was  held 
in  Wheaton's  Hall  (May  9,  1871)  at  which  enthusi- 
astic speeches  were  made, — some  of  them  "  cash 
figures  of  speech," — by  Rev.  A.  K.  Packard  (a  son- 
in-law  of  Mr.  Carleton),  Revs.  Edward  M.  Will- 
iams, Richard  Hall,  M.  A.  Munson  and  others.  The 
full  story  of  the  fifty  thousand  dollars  has  never 


398          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

been  written — it  never  can  be  written — but  in  this, 
no  less  than  in  all  that  had  preceded,  God's  hand 
was  most  manifest.  It  is  a  singular  fact  that  to  this 
day,  no  officer  of  our  college  has  ever  seen  a  mark 
of  Mr.  Carleton's  pen.  The  business  was  all  done 
by  his  bookkeeper,  Miss  Willis,  afterward  Mrs. 
Carleton, — who  knew  him  most  intimately,  and  to 
whose  gentle  power  and  wise  suggestions  we  owe 
more  than  will  ever  be  publicly  known.  Both  passed 
to  their  reward  in  1876.  However  we  may  honor 
William  Carleton,  on  canvas  or  in  granite,  let  it 
ever  be  remembered  that  Susan  Willis  deserves  to 
stand  beside  him  in  the  whitest  marble  this  earth 
produces.  All  too  few  are  such  consecrated  souls. 
In  my  memory  her  name  stands  for  gentleness, 
purity,  devotion.  She  declared  her  belief  that  Mr. 
Carleton  was  constrained  to  this  gift  by  the  direct 
influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Years  afterward  he 
himself  said,  as  if  in  a  state  of  continual  spiritual 
exaltation  in  view  of  its  effective  use,  "  I  ca<nnot 
tell  you  what  I  have  enjoyed.  It  is  like  being  born 
into  the  kingdom  a  second  time." 

Such  was  the  beginning.  Born  of  prayer,  nur- 
tured in  the  atmosphere  of  devotion,  strengthened 
by  sacrifices,  purified  by  discipline  and  baptized 
with  the  divine  approval,  Carleton  College  began 
a  work  whose  breadth  and  power  no  man  can  now 
discern  and  whose  fruitage  will  be  revealed  only  in 
the  last  great  day. 

II.     But    consider    next    THE    STANDARD    AND 


HISTORICAL  ADDRESS  399 

SCOPE  OF  CARLETON'S  EDUCATIONAL  WORK.  From 
the  beginning  our  aim,  like  that  of  every  college  de- 
serving the  name  of  Christian,  has  been  twofold, 
true  scholarship  and  high  moral  character.  Not 
one  to  the  exclusion  of  the  other,  but  the  two  com- 
bined, in  the  spirit  of  Beloit's  motto:  " Scientia 
vera  cum  fide  pura,"  "Exact  learning  with  pure 
faith." 

We  have  not  been  unmindful  of  a  certain  popular 
impression  that  piety  is  enervating,  that  to  be  re- 
ligious is  to  be  narrow  and  illiberal,  while  to  ques- 
tion old  truths  and  to  be  skeptical  in  belief,  even 
if  not  immoral  in  life,  is  to  be  broad  and  free  and 
manly.  Not  a  day  in  our  history  has  failed  to 
declare  false  such  puerile  notions.  Carleton  College 
has  never  stood  for  the  superficial  nor  for  what  is 
so  often  connected  with  the  religious, — the  sec- 
tarian. We  have  sought  breadth,  not  narrowness. 
Our  constant  aim  has  been,  by  a  discipline  most 
thorough,  by  a  scholarship  most  exact,  by  methods 
most  widely  approved,  to  secure  a  symmetrical  cul- 
ture of  intellect,  sensibility  and  will,  and  thus  to 
develop,  under  the  best  possible  environment,  a 
broad  and  a  thoroughly  Christian  manhood  and 
womanhood.  This  is  the  true  aim  of  education. 
Between  religion  and  learning  there  is,  there  can  be, 
no  antagonism.  Christianity  has  always  been 
wedded  to  learning.  There  is  nothing  whatsoever 
in  religion  to  make  a  man  satisfied  with  super- 
ficiality in  thought  or  inaccuracy  in  scholarship. 


400          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

Was  Paul  the  Christian  a  weaker  man  than  Saul 
the  persecutor?  Was  Augustine  the  skeptic  more 
brilliant  than  Augustine  the  Apostolic  Father  ?  No 
greater  mental  stimulus  exists  than  the  Christian 
faith.  It  broadens  the  vision,  it  presents  new  and 
loftier  ideals  of  life  and  labor,  and  it  quickens  to 
new  activity  every  power  of  the  mind.  Without 
this,  education  cannot  possibly  meet  the  Christian 
ideal,  because  it  is  partial  and  ignores  the  most  es- 
sential point  in  breadth  of  culture.  It  fails  to  touch 
the  hidden  springs  of  the  most  effective  life  the 
world  can  ever  know.  Character  is  more  than  men- 
tal discipline.  The  education  which  society — which 
all  the  interests  of  Christian  civilization  demand — 
is  and  must  be  Christian  education.  This  is  the 
simple  philosophy  of  our  origin,  our  aims  and  our 
methods.  We  believe  that  the  mental  and  the  moral 
are  so  adjusted  that  if  both  are  not  well  trained, 
neither  can  be  well  trained,  that  the  ideal  manhood 
demands  culture  both  of  head  and  of  heart, — that 
we  need  not  only  to  perceive  the  truth,  but  what 
is  infinitely  better,  to  live  the  truth ;  that  true  educa- 
tional success  lies  alone  in  this  combination  of  the 
intellectual  with  the  moral.  As  President  Turner 
says :  "  The  three  r's  of  the  curriculum  are  reason, 
righteousness  and  revelation.  The  high  places  of 
the  curriculum  are  not  only  the  Aventine  and  the 
Areopagus,  but  also  Sinai  and  the  Mount  of  Beati- 
tudes." It  is  learning  and  religion  wrought  into  a 


HISTORICAL  ADDRESS  401 

living  organism.  That  is  the  ideal.  Both  combined 
in  one  earnest  soul. 

Have  we  at  Carleton  been  realizing  this  ideal? 
Not  perfectly,  surely,  but  no  one  charges  us  with 
seriously  lacking  on  the  moral  side.  Do  we  lack  on 
the  intellectual  side?  It  has  been  easy  to  insinuate 
it.  Upon  this  point  we  are  and  we  ought  to  be  sensi- 
tive. No  man  can  truly  affirm  that  at  Carleton  mor- 
ality is  accepted  for  scholarship,  or  that  piety  is  es- 
teemed a  substitute  for  brains.  Not  a  spirit  of 
boasting  but  a  proper  self-respect  and  a  just  regard 
for  the  truth  of  our  educational  history  require  that 
this  review  should  not  fail  to  present  certain  facts 
which  reveal  the  standard  here  maintained. 

Fifteen  years  ago  a  careful  comparison  was  made 
between  our  requirements  and  those  of  five  repre- 
sentative institutions  East  and  West,  including 
Dartmouth,  Amherst  and  Oberlin.  It  was  found 
that  in  some  respects  we  were  in  advance  of  them 
all,  that  we  taught  some  branches  not  required  for 
admission  to  any  of  them,  and  we  fell  short  of 
any  one  only  to  a  very  slight  extent  in  the  amount 
of  Greek  and  Latin  required;  while  strange  as  it 
may  seem  our  own  college  curriculum  was  then  the 
only  one  embracing  the  study  of  American  liter- 
ature. 

When,  in  1887,  President  Harper  requested  us 
to  introduce,  as  other  colleges  were  doing,  sys- 
tematic and  scientific  Bible  study,  the  response  could 
be  made  that  we  had  begun  to  do  precisely  that 


402          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

work  seven  years  before,  earlier  so  far  as  we  know 
than  any  other  college  East  or  West. 

As  early  as  1878  we  began  giving  by  daily  signals 
the  standard  time  to  the  cities  and  towns  of  an 
immense  area,  and  in  1881  General  Hazen  said  that 
it  was  the  largest  and  probably  the  most  useful 
time  service  in  the  United  States.  Only  a  little 
later  (1882)  our  college  was  made  a  government 
signal  station,  and  a  state  weather  service  was  or- 
ganized which  soon  secured  such  a  reputation  and 
became  of  such  manifest  value  that  another  educa- 
tional institution  offered  a  handsome  price  for  it. 

Fourteen  years  ago  our  representative  won  first 
place  in  the  state  oratorical  contest  and  second  place 
in  the  interstate  contest.  Twice  since  that  time  the 
highest  state  honor  has,  I  believe,  been  won  by  those 
trained  at  Carleton.  At  the  New  Orleans  Exposi- 
tion in  1885  Minnesota  took,  in  the  educational  ex- 
hibit, the  "  Grand  Diploma  of  Honor "  and  the 
"  Special  Diploma  "  was  awarded  to  Carleton.  To 
stand  first  in  the  commonwealth  whose  educational 
exhibit  was  pronounced  the  best  in  the  country 
proves,  at  least,  that  our  standards  embrace  some- 
thing in  addition  to  moral  excellence.  At  the  recent 
Word's  Fair  also,  as  is  not  generally  known,  its 
astronomical  exhibit  secured  for  those  preparing  it 
the  high  honor  of  special  diplomas. 

For  thirteen  years  one  or  more  astronomical 
magazines  have  been  published  here,  of  such  recog- 
nized merit  that  they  have  gone  by  paid  subscrip- 


HISTORICAL  ADDRESS  403 

tions  to  five  continents,  and  into  eighteen  different 
foreign  countries.  Nearly  one-third  of  their  sup- 
port has  come  from  abroad.  Our  work  in  celestial 
photography  and  in  the  preparation  of  lantern 
slides  has  been  of  such  marked  superiority  that 
orders  have  come  from  such  institutions  as  Johns 
Hopkins  University  and  Columbia  College,  not  to 
mention  others. 

It  is  a  source  of  justifiable  pride  that  our  college 
has  been  requested  by  the  -leading  astronomers  of 
the  country  to  undertake  scientific  work,  than  which 
none  can  more  severely  test  the  accuracy  of  instru- 
ments, or  the  skill  of  observers.  The  results  fur- 
nished have  gone  for  standard  use  to  the  various 
observatories  throughout  the  world.  Astronomical 
work  of  the  very  highest  order,  as  is  acknowledged 
in  both  Europe  and  America,  is  now  being  done 
here;  and  to  one  of  our  teachers,  our  own  graduate, 
belongs  the  high  honor  of  discovering  a  new 
asteroid.  Upon  our  post-graduate  courses  and  our 
Summer  School  of  Practical  Astronomy,  attracting 
hither  professors  in  other  institutions,  I  need  not 
dwell.  Special  gifts  have  brought  unusual  facilities 
to  this  department,  whose  achievements  are  tangible 
and  easily  set  forth;  but  that  scholarship  and  thor- 
oughness have  been  found  in  other  departments  as 
well,  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  from  the  early  years 
our  students  have  been  received  to  the  same  rank 
in  New  England  colleges  that  they  have  held  here. 
Our  curriculum  has  been  substantially  the  same  as 


404          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

theirs.  Moreover,  Carleton  teachers,  not  simply 
once  nor  twice,  nor  thrice,  have  been  earnestly 
sought  by  the  older  and  more  famous  institutions. 
We  rejoice,  however,  that  so  uniformly  loyalty  to 
the  interests  represented  here  has  led  them  to  de- 
cline offers  and  honors  exceedingly  tempting.  Such 
facts  and  many  others  like  them,  which  I  may  not 
now  give,  clearly  indicate  the  standard  of  our  work.  t 
III.  But  let  us  now  glance  at  THE  FRUITAGE 
of  this  work.  The  least  value  of  a  college  to  any 
community  is  its  financial  value,  but  it  would  be 
easy  to  show  that  St.  Olaf  and  Carleton  are  worth 
to  Northfield  thousands  of  dollars  every  week;  and 
that  not  a  single  citizen  can  fail  to  be  thus  bene- 
fited by  them.  Remove  these  colleges  and  all  those 
whom,  with  property  and  social  power,  they  have 
brought  hither,  and  would  Northfield  suffer  no 
pecuniary  loss  ?  But  what  is  money  compared  with 
other  local  benefits?  Would  you  sell  for  cash  the 
mental  quickening,  the  social  elevation,  the  spiritual 
enlargement  made  possible  to  you  and  your  children 
by  these  institutions  ?  To  some  of  you  these  would 
never  have  come  had  no  college  foundations  been 
laid  here.  To  have  discovered  and  brought  into 
his  life-work  even  one  of  those  of  whom  Northfield 
could  name  many,  is  worth  vastly  more  than  all  the 
money  these  institutions  have  cost.  Do  any  of  you 
to-day  regret  the  sacrifices  made?  Do  these  not 
rather  bring  joy  in  remembrance  ?  But  what  figures 
can  possibly  express  moral  values?  What  scales 


HISTORICAL  ADDRESS  405 

weigh  spiritual  results  ?  Statistics  may  give  certain 
facts  concerning  our  organized  life  and  the  labors 
of  our  students,  but  at  best  they  are  only  as  the  husk 
to  the  kernel. 

It  is  no  small  fact  that  more  than  three  thousand 
young  men  and  women  have  for  a  longer  or  shorter 
time  had  their  lives  enriched  by  the  educational  ad- 
vantages here  afforded.  Our  graduates,  including 
those  who  complete  courses  this  year,  have  num- 
bered, from  the  former  English  Academy  course, 
26 ;  from  the  Academy  as  now  organized,  62 ;  from 
the  School  of  Music,  26 ;  from  the  regular  collegiate 
courses,  227;  from  post-graduate  courses,  2.  Ex- 
amining our  list  of  college  graduates  and  counting 
no  one  twice  we  find  that,  of  those  who  have  already 
left  us,  23  are  merchants  or  business  men,  13  are 
physicians  or  medical  students,  22  are  lawyers  or 
law  students,  22  are  clergymen  or  theological  stu- 
dents, 8  are  missionaries  and  missionary  teachers, 
9  are  professors  or  instructors  in  colleges,  19  are 
superintendents  or  principals  of  schools,  and  50 
others  are  teachers ;  35  have  taken  non-professional 
post-graduate  courses;  only  3  have  died.  Of  the 
young  women,  some  of  whom  were  for  a  time  in 
active  educational  or  missionary  labor,  25  are  find- 
ing their  lifework  in  the  care  of  their  own  homes. 
These  figures  do  not  include  any  who,  though  re- 
ceiving special  training  here,  have  not  completed 
our  courses.  Among  such  are  many  earnest  Scan- 
dinavians, some  of  whom  are  missionaries  in  China, 


406          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

others  are  in  the  ministry  or  in  missionary  service, 
and  others  still  are  laboring  successfully  in  different 
fieI3s  of  Christian  activity.  Carleton  is  willing  to 
accept  the  scriptural  test,  "  By  their  fruits  ye  shall 
know  them."  Lowell  has  said,  "  The  mission  of  the 
college  is  to  maintain  higher  ideals  of  life  and  its 
purpose."  Are  we  realizing  our  mission?  Let  the 
answer  appear  in  the  consecrated  lives  and  the  noble 
work  of  those  who  have  gone  forth  from  our  halls. 
Their  achievements  have  revealed  as  well  as  tested 
both  their  ideals  and  our  own.  Shall  I  give  you 
illustrations?  But  that  would  necessitate  personal 
mention,  and  among  so  many  deserving  this,  how 
can  I  name  any  without  seeming  invidious?  Shall 
I  begin  with  the  very  first  class,  and  tell  you  of 
those  who  for  a  score  of  years,  with  unwearied  de- 
votion, have  been  giving  mental  and  spiritual  vision 
to  those  physically  blind?  But  every  succeeding 
class  includes  those  who  in  the  same  spirit  are  mak- 
ing the  impress  of  their  own  characters  upon  those 
looking  up  to  them  for  guidance  and  teaching. 
Shall  I  tell  of  our  beloved  alumnae  in  a  far-off  land, 
meeting  the  peculiar  difficulties  of  this  transition 
period  from  the  old  to  the  new  Japan?  But  those 
in  Marsovan,  and  Bombay,  and  Talas,  and  many  in 
home  missionary  work  in  our  own  land  are  no  less 
deserving  or  successful.  Of  our  graduates  now  in 
the  ministry  we  naturally  call  first  to  mind  those 
preaching  with  such  marked  favor  in  large  cities, 
but  let  us  not  forget  those  who,  with  equal  devo- 


HISTORICAL  ADDRESS  407 

tion,  and  perhaps  in  the  Master's  sight  with  equal 
success,  are  toiling  in  obscure  fields  without  public 
applause  or  large  pecuniary  gains,  yet  under  the 
approving  eye  of  Him  who  says,  "  Inasmuch  as  ye 
did  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these  ye  did  it 
unto  me." 

I  may  not  specify  by  name,  any  of  those  who  are 
doing  faithful  and  effective  work  in  our  public 
schools,  academies  and  colleges,  all  the  way  from 
the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific — from  Harvard  to  Po- 
mona, or  in  our  great  business  centers,  east  or 
west,  or  in  the  physician's  office,  or  in  the  sphere  of 
legal  lore,  but  I  may  quote  respecting  them  the 
words  of  one  of  the  noble  women  of  our  state  who 
says,  "For  many  years  I  have  watched  with  in- 
creasing interest  the  work  of  your  graduates  and 
I  find  that  everywhere  they  become  centers  of  moral 
power, — leaders  in  all  good  things, — and  I  feel  that 
in  no  way  can  I  do  more  for  Christ's  Kingdom  than 
by  helping  Carleton  carry  on  her  good  work." 

Gratefully  may  we  call  to  mind  these  things 
to-day,  and  rejoice  that  thus  Carleton  has  already 
become  in  the  world  a  vital  and  vitalizing  force. 
To  watch  the  processes  of  mental  unfolding,  to 
see  the  spiritual  horizon  of  the  mind  broadening 
until  it  embraces  the  whole  world,  as  has  been  our 
privilege  during  these  twenty-five  years,  has  been 
a  constant  delight.  Why  does  Millais'  great  picture 
"  The  Angelus  "  have  such  wonderful  power  over 
us?  Because  it  depicts  so  simply  and  so  beautifully 


408          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

the  three  great  elements  in  human  life,  love,  work 
and  worship.  These  are  precisely  the  elements 
which  a  Christian  college  ever  stimulates  and  guides 
and  deepens.  How  interesting  the  process!  The 
average  youth  comes  to  college  without  any  very 
clear  apprehension  of  himself,  his  needs,  his  adapta- 
tions or  his  purposes.  He  is  apt  to  be  self-centered 
in  his  ambitions  and  in  his  plans.  But  gradually  his 
vision  becomes  clearer  and  broader.  The  world  is 
larger  than  he  thought — he  sees  that  the  noblest 
souls  do  not  live  unto  themselves — life  takes  on  a 
richer  meaning — it  has  a  nobler  object  and  he  seeks 
higher  ideals.  New  loves  are  developed — love  of 
knowledge,  love  of  truth,  love  of  humanity,  love  of 
God.  When  brought  into  harmony  with  the  per- 
sonal will  of  his  divine  Lord  he  is  at  once  impelled 
toward  the  highest  and  best  service  of  his  fellow- 
men.  Henceforth,  wherever  his  lot  may  be  cast,  he 
chooses  a  life  consecrated  to  the  best  things.  In 
realizing  this  result  the  Christian  college  is  ful- 
filling its  grand  mission.  Can  even  this  electric  age 
invent  any  dynamo  which  will  unfold  the  mental, 
quicken  the  spiritual  and  realize  the  true  ideal  of 
character  more  perfectly  or  more  speedily  than 
God's  own  method  through  Christian  education? 

IV.  But  finally,  what  is  OUR  OUTLOOK  TOWARD 
THE  FUTURE?  We  need  no  prophetic  vision.  The 
past  foretells  the  future  and  gives  assurance  of 
richer  blessings  yet  to  come.  Most  manifestly,  from 
the  beginning,  marked  tokens  of  divine  favor  have 


HISTORICAL  ADDRESS  409 

attended  us.  More  than  ninety  per  cent,  of  our 
graduates  have  gone  out  Christian  men  and  women. 
Where  can  you  find  a  similar  record?  Each  day 
of  our  college  life  for  more  than  a  score  of  years 
has  witnessed  the  gathering  of  students  and  teach- 
ers at  the  midday  hour  to  invoke  spiritual  blessings 
upon  our  work.  Will  not  God  hear?  Will  not  his 
favor  continue?  And  then,  does  good  seed  ever 
produce  tares?  If  you  sow  wheat,  may  you  not 
expect  a  harvest  of  wheat?  It  is  related  that  when 
Walter  Mildmay  founded  Emmanuel  College, 
which  was  to  be  the  nursery  and  school  of  the  Puri- 
tans, the  queen  said  to  him,  "  So,  Sir  Walter,  I 
hear  you  have  erected  a  Puritcm  foundation."  He 
replied,  "  I  have  set  an  acorn  which,  when  it  be- 
comes an  oak,  God  alone  knows  what  will  be  the 
fruit  thereof."  Ah,  but  he  did  himself  know.  Oaks 
bear  acorns,  not  thistles,  and  acorns  produce  new 
oaks  of  the  same  tough  fibre.  Those  Puritans  knew 
they  were  guided  by  an  unseen  hand,  they  "  felt 
themselves  set  in  the  divine  intent,"  and  their  eyes 
of  faith  even  then  beheld  "  splendid  visions  of  re- 
sults," results  which  these  past  centuries  have  been 
unfolding  in  the  sight  of  all  the  world.  That  was 
the  college  out  of  which  came  Cotton  and  Hooker 
and  Stowe  and  Shepherd  and  Harvard,  and  many 
more  kindred  spirits,  whose  words  and  deeds  and 
lives,  in  that  land  and  in  our  own,  have  been  and 
will  ever  continue  to  be  shaping  the  centuries.  We 
have  planted  here  a  seed.  We  have  watched  its  early 


410          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

growth  and  its  spreading  branches.  The  first  fruits 
of  our  labor  are  already  gathered.  Its  flavor  has 
been  tested.  Can  we  doubt  the  nature  of  the  fruit- 
age which  is  as  certain  to  follow  as  that  the  laws 
of  God  do  not  change,  and  that  spiritual  seedtime 
and  harvest  will  continue?  This  is  no  new  experi- 
ment. History  will  surely  repeat  itself.  Joseph 
Cook  once  said :  "  I  am  studying  the  Northwest, 
and  surely  Carleton  College  is  the  star  of  hope  in 
that  quarter  of  the  horizon."  What  matters  it  if  we 
are  still  young?  So  once  were  Oxford  and  Cam- 
bridge and  Harvard  and  Yale.  If  at  our  age  we  can 
justly  claim  what  so  evidently  has  already  been 
realized,  what  may  not  the  future  secure  ?  "  The 
child  is  father  to  the  man."  These  may  be  days  of 
weakness  but  days  of  increasing  strength  are  surely 
coming.  Our  numbers  are  not  large,  but  can  you 
count  to-day  all  the  host  whose  glad  feet  will  yet 
hasten  hither  to  this  seat  of  learning  ?  "  Eis 
Athenas"  "  Away  to  Athens  "  sang  the  Thracian 
maidens.  "  The  schools  are  there,  the  scholars,  the 
histories,  orations  and  poems  are  there,  thither  let 
us  go."  "  The  echo  of  that  refrain,"  as  a  dear 
friend,  Dr.  Lyman  Whiting,  once  said  in  the  pres- 
ence of  some  of  you,*  "  The  echo  of  that  refrain 
is  on  the  lips  of  all  the  generations  where  letters  are 
known.  Young  men  and  maidens  perpetuate 
through  all  time  the  grand  old  choral.  To  the 

*An  address  printed  by  the  college  in  1871. 


HISTORICAL  ADDRESS  411 

schools  away.  The  seats  of  learning,  of  art,  of  let- 
ters and  wisdom  win  us.  Shall  not  thousands,  yea 
will  not  tens  of  thousands  of  our  children's  chil- 
dren enrich  this  family  record  with  names  shining 
among  the  consecrated  ones  in  Christ's  work  for 
man?  And  for  the  millions  coming  to  dwell  upon 
these  fruitful  plains  shall  not  nobler  choirs  of  young 
men  and  maidens  than  made  vocal  the  classic 
vales  of  ancient  Thracia  be  heard  shouting  "  Eis 
Athenas,"  "  Let  us  away  to  our  Athens  the  place  of 
our  scholars,  of  learning,  of  culture  of  the  mind  and 
of  consecrated  eloquence, — our  Carleton  College?" 

Thus,  dear  friends,  though  in  brief  and  imperfect 
outline,  I  have  set  before  you  Carleton's  origin, 
standard,  past  fruitage  and  future  hopes.  Our  past 
is  brief,  the  future  is  long.  We  have  made  only  a 
beginning,  but  is  it  not  a  good  beginning?  Do  not 
the  results  already  secured  far  outweigh  their  cost? 
If  Carleton  were  to-day  to  cease  her  organic  life, 
would  she  have  lived  in  vain?  Has  she  not  done 
something  to  enrich  the  world's  life  and  swell  the 
anthems  of  heaven? 

Wise  observers  tell  us  that  no  other  similar  col- 
lege in  either  the  older  or  the  newer  West  has  made 
equally  rapid  progress.  May  we  not  to-day,  with 
profound  gratitude,  give  thanks  to  God  for  what 
has  been  secured,  and  with  new  zeal  and  still 
stronger  faith  go  forward,  assured  in  our  hearts 
that  God  Himself  is  calling  us  to  this  work,  and 
that  His  designs  of  good  concerning  this  "  vine  of 


412  HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

His  own  right  hand's  planting  "  surely  will  not  fail  ? 
Here  is  the  ground  of  our  faith  in  the  future  of 
Carleton.  It  rests  upon  the  unchanging  relations 
of  mind  and  character,  and  upon  the  granite  of 
God's  own  purpose  concerning  the  extension  of  His 
kingdom.  The  seal  of  the  divine  approval  has  been 
set.  Will  it  not  abide? 

But  now  at  this  closing  hour,  it  is  to  you,  mem- 
bers of  the  graduating  class,  that  our  thoughts  turn 
with  special  and  tender  interest.  Our  children  are 
our  glory.  In  them  we  rejoice.  In  them  we  trust. 
Upon  them  we  lay  the  large  privilege  of  proving 
that  not  in  vain  were  the  gifts  and  toils  of  those 
godly  men  who  founded  Carleton  College  and  made 
possible  their  education  here;  that  Christian  educa- 
tion meets,  as  no  other  can,  the  world's  need  of 
mental  and  spiritual  uplifting;  that  such  colleges  as 
ours  mould  the  characters  of  those  who  are  to  touch 
the  very  springs  of  national  life,  and  give  shape  to 
American  civilization ;  yea,  that  such  colleges  are  the 
needed  tonic,  the  iron  in  the  blood  of  the  nation  and 
of  the  nations. 

My  dear  friends,  we  expect  very  much  of  you. 
Carleton  depends  upon  you,  and  upon  the  noble 
company  of  alumni  you  are  about  to  join.  And  to 
do  what?  To  acquire  wealth  and  bestow  upon  her 
large  and  needed  endowments?  More  than  that. 
To  become  famous  and  bring  wide  reputation  to 
your  alma  mater  ?  Ah,  more  than  that.  It  is  to  be 
yourselves  in  life  and  character  what  her  teachings 


HISTORICAL  ADDRESS  413 

and  the  atmosphere  of  her  daily  life  have  sought 
to  secure.  It  is,  in  one  word,  to  incarnate  in  your- 
selves Carleton's  highest  ideals  of  life  and  character. 
Into  this  one  earnest  admonition  would  I  condense 
Carleton's  closing  word  of  counsel.  You  know 
what  her  ideals  are.  These  years  past  have  revealed 
to  you  her  inner  life  and  spirit,  and  you  have  felt 
her  quickening  impulse  toward  the  highest  and  best. 
Henceforth  you  are  to  represent  her.  "  Ye  are  our 
epistles."  Remember  that  men  will  judge  her  not 
so  much  by  what  we  say  as  by  what  you  are.  You 
may  not  acquire  wealth  or  political  distinction,  but 
moral  supremacy  is  possible  to  every  one  of  you. 
You  may  not  command  silver-tongued  speech  and 
sway  great  assemblies,  but  yours  may  be  that  most 
effective  eloquence,  the  eloquence  of  character. 

Dr.  Parkhurst,  in  a  recent  tribute  to  his  revered 
teacher,  President  Seelye,  makes  this  surprising 
statement :  "  I  do  not  recall  a  single  expression 
ever  used  by  him  in  public  address,  in  the  recitation 
room  or  in  private  conversation.  He  could  not  in 
any  way  be  called  original.  *  *  *  It  was  not 
what  he  said,  but  it  was  the  man  himself,  that  was 
the  real  inspiration.  He  was  himself  the  truth  of 
all  he  spake."  There  could  be  no  higher  praise. 
It  is  character  that  tells.  Character  wins.  Char- 
acter is  king.  I  pray  you  then,  fail  not  in  loyalty 
to  the  ideals  of  character  and  Christian  service  for 
which  Carleton  stands;  then  surely  you  will  be  loyal 
not  only  to  your  alma  mater,  but  loyal  to  your 


414          HISTORY  OF  CARLETON  COLLEGE 

noblest  self  and  loyal  to  Him  who  calls  you  to  His 
own  blessed  service.  That  is  the  supreme  loyalty. 
May  the  divine  favor  rest  upon  you  and  all  the 
alumni;  and  for  all  generations  may  it  abide 
upon  your  Alma  Mater — our  own  CARLETON 
COLLEGE. 


INDEX. 

Address,  Quarter-Centennial,  by  Pres.  Strong,  386-414. 

Alden,  George  H.,  chosen  to  chair  of  history,  etc.,  259. 

Alexandria,  the  "Extreme  Frontier"  of  Minnesota,  79. 

American  House,  Erection  of,  65 ;  purchased  by  the  college, 
115;  becomes  Ladies'  Hall,  120;  early  occupants  of,  120;  sold 
and  torn  down,  229. 

Anderson,  Rev.  Edward,  Speech  of,  in  North'field,  99-100. 

Armsby,  Miss  Alice  L.  (Mrs.  Pearson),  chosen  to  chair  of 
Latin,  205 ;  resigns,  239. 

Atkins,  Dr.  F.  H.,  chosen  instructor,  119. 

Barnes,  Rev.  J.  R.,  Arrival  of  in  Minnesota,  50,  69;  account 
of  a  meeting  in  Northfield  by,  100-1 ;  death  of,  297. 

Barrows,  Dr.  Wm.,  Pictures  scene  following  "inauguration" 
of  Pres.  Strong,  160-4. 

Bell,  D.  C,  Long  service  of  as  trustee,  321. 

Bible,  Carleton's  first,  Fate  of,  134. 

Bisbee,  Miss  Cora  A.,  Gift  of  to  college  of  two  silver  half- 
dollars,  112-3. 

Boise,  Mrs.  Mary  J.  (Mrs.  Rice),  chosen  matron  and  teacher 
of  calisthenics,  206. 

Boswell,  Charles,  Gifts  of  to  Carleton,  345. 

Brinsmade,  Dr.  H.  N.,  and  wife,  Gifts  of  to  Carleton,  349. 

Brown,  Rev.  Edward,  On  founding  of  the  college,  91-3;  gift 
of  a  colt  by,  162. 

Brown,  Miss  Myra  A.,  One  of  Carleton's  first  graduates, 
206. 

Burt,  Rev.  David,  Part  played  by  in  founding  the  college, 
92-3;  death  of,  241. 

Campus,  The  College,  Growth  of,  286. 

Cannon  City,  the  original  of  "Metropolisville,"  40. 

Carleton,  Wm.,  Pres.  Strong's  first  meeting  with,  179-81 ; 
great  gift,  189;  death  of,  208 ;  life-sketch  of,  208-10,  note. 

Carleton  and  missions,  Chapter  on,  357-67. 

Carleton  in  oratory,  368-72. 

Carleton  in  song,  375-7. 

Carleton's  builders,  317-56. 

Carleton's  givers,  332-53. 

Carletonia,  The,  First  appearance  of,  240. 

Carver,  Jonathan,  Visit  of  to  Minnesota  soil,  28. 

Catalogue,  First  annual,  123 ;  third,  134. 

Chancy,  Lucian  W.,  Chosen  to  chair  of  biology  and  geology, 
238. 

Children's  gifts  to  Carleton,  101,  119,  131-2. 


416  INDEX 

Clark,  John  B«  chosen  to  chair  of  political  economy  and 
history,  205;  resigns,  239;  Oratorical  Reminiscence  by,  372-4. 

Cobb,  Rev.  L.  H.,  chosen  home  missionary  superintendent, 
145;  resigns,  215. 
.     Coit,  Daniel  T.,  Gifts  of  to  Carleton,  339. 

College,  First  agitation  for  a,  50;  in  Zumbrota,  51;  by  C. 
M.  Goodsell,  52;  by  Rev.  Charles  Galpin,  54;  in  state  confer- 
ence, 54-64;  committee  on  site  chosen,  92-3;  Northfield  select- 
ed, 106;  first  building  voted,  113;  American  House  bought, 
115;  school  opened,  119. 

College,  The  value  of  the,  to  Northfield,  333-5. 

College  seal,  313,  and  note. 

"Commencement,"  Carleton's  first,  124. 

Congregationalism,  Growth  of  in  Minnesota,  in  the  sixties, 
78-9;  seventies,  144-6;  eighties,  215-16;  nineties,  247-8;  in  first 
half-century,  274-7. 

Cosmopolitanism  of  Carleton,  290. 

Courses  of  Study,  Enlargement  of,  257-8. 
„     Cressey,  Rev.  T.  R.,  preaches  first  sermon  in  Northfield,  69; 
monument  to  commemorate,  69,  note. 

Dana,  Rev.  M.  McG.,  Pamphlet  history  of  Carleton  by,  240 ; 
death  of,  263 ;  service  of  as  trustee,  322 ;  life-sketch  of,  note. 

Danforth,   Miss  Lucia  E.,  chosen  preceptress  of  academy, 

259- 

Dow,  James  J.,  one  of  the  first  graduates,  206. 

Duluth,  Rapid  growth  of,  212,  241-2. 

Executive  committee,  Arduous  duties  of,  324;  some  who 
served  thereon,  324-5. 

Eggleston,  Rev.  Edward,  Boom  times  in  Minnesota  de- 
scribed by,  40. 

Eldridge,  T.  B.,  Gifts  of  to  college,  345. 

Evans,  Miss  Margaret  J.,  becomes  preceptress,  etc.,  205; 
granted  year's  leave  of  absence,  259;  long  service  of,  329. 

Excelsior,  Settlement  of,  47;  revival  in,  54;  college  planned 
for,  54. 

Faculty,  The,  as  builders,  327. 

"Founders'  Fund,"  108. 

Fuller,  Rev.  Americus,  the  first  to  suggest  Rev.  J.  W.  Strong 
for  president,  155. 

Galpin,  Rev.  Charles,  pastor  at  Excelsior,  47;  founds  an 
academy,  54 ;  agitates  for  a  college,  55-63 ;  failure  of  plans  and 
death,  61-4. 

Goodhue,  Horace,  Jr.,  chosen  to  open  Northfield  college, 
118;  becomes  dean  of  the  faculty,  258;  long  and  varied  ser- 
vice of,  328-9. 

Goodsell,  Charles  M.,  writes  inquiring  about  college,  52; 
removes  to  Northfield,  52,  84;  activity  for  a  college,  84-7; 


INDEX  417 

applies  to  state  conference,  90-3;  inspires  Northfield  to  give, 
99-102;  last  years  and  death,  127-9. 

Goodsell  Observatory,  how  it  was  built,  233-5;  description 
of,  252-3. 

Gridley,  Eber,  Gift  of  to  build  Gridley  Hall,  231,  344;  life- 
sketch  of,  344,  note. 

Gridley  Hall,  Erection  of,  231 ;  uses  and  ornaments  of,  231 ; 
how  furnished,  232;  its  varied  ministry,  287-8. 

Hackett,  C.  W.,  and  Mrs.,  Gifts  of  to  Carleton,  283,  352. 

Hall,  Rev.  Richard,  reaches  Minnesota,  44;  life-sketch  of, 
44,  note;  chosen  home  missionary  superintendent,  48;  visits 
Northfield,  69;  chosen  trustee,  107. 

Haven,  Henry  P.,  Gifts  of  to  Carleton,  345-7. 

Heywood,  J.  L.,  treasurer  of  college,  and  killed,  149;' trib- 
ute to  his  worth,  150-1,  and  note. 

Hiawatha,  Song  of,  helping  to  make  Minnesota  known,  41. 

Hill,  James  J..  Gifts  of  to  Carleton,  233,  352. 

Historical  Address,  by   Pres.   Strong,  386-414. 

Hulbert,  Charles  S.,  Service  of  as  trustee,  321,  324. 

Huntington,  Rev.  George,  chosen  to  chair  of  rhetoric,  logic, 
etc..  205;  inaugural  ode  and  hymns  by,  314-6;  college  songs, 
375-7- 

Inauguration  of  Carleton's  first  and  second  presidents  con- 
trasted, 300-2. 

James-Younger  Raid,  148-9. 

Jones,  Judge  E.  S.,  Service  of  as  trustee,  322;  total  of 
gifts  to  Carleton,  352. 

Knowles.   L.   K.,  and  wife,    Gifts  of  to   Carleton,  342. 

Ladies'  Hall,  Description  of,  123-4;  sold  and  taken  down, 
240;  early  inmates  of,  120;  rules  imposed  in,  121. 

Laird,  W.  H.,  Gifts  of,  to  Carleton,  224,  233 ;  athletic  field, 
287. 

Leonard,  Rev.  D.  L.,  chosen  pastor  of  Northfield  church, 
152;  resigns.  218. 

Library,    The    beginning    of,    134;    building    secured,    350, 

353-4- 

Lincoln,  Miss  Anna  T.,  chosen  matron,  206;  becomes  su- 
perintendent of  domestic  department,  332. 

Longfellow,  H.  W.,  by  Song  of  Hiawatha  adds  to  Minne- 
sota's fame.  41. 

Lyman,  Eugene  W.,  chosen  to  chair  of  philosophy,  388. 

McConnell,  Rev.  J.  E.,  becomes  pastor  of  Northfield  church, 
247. 

Magnus.  Rev.  Daniel,  chosen  to  chair  of  Swedish,  etc.,  239. 

"Metropolisville,  The  Mystery  of,"  relates  to  early  boom 
times  in  Minnesota,  40. 

Merriman,  Pres.,  Advice  of 'to  Pres.  Strong  as  to  "begging" 
in  the  East,  175-7. 


418  INDEX 

Military  drill,   Provision  made  for,  256. 
Minneapolis,    Growth    of,    212,    244;    as   a    Congregational 
force,  275. 

Minnesota,  Physical  features  of,  22-4 ;  French  in,  27-8 ; 
Indian  names,  32 ;  early  missionaries,  32-3 ;  early  population, 
character  of,  37-8;  development  of,  141-2,  212-3,  243-5,  270-3. 

Mohn,  Rev.  T.  N.,  founder  of  St.  Olaf ;  death  of,  246. 

Music  Hall  (formerly  the  Seccombe  House)  purchased  by 
the  college,  140. 

North,  John  W.,  Arrival  of  in  Minnesota  and  founding  of 
Northfield,  50,  65;  moral  earnestness  of,  66;  financial  failure 
and  departure,  67-8. 

Northfield,  The  location  of,  64 ;  founding  of,  65 ;  first  re- 
ligious services  held  in,  68-9 ;  first  locomotive  arrives,  80 ; 
money  pledged  in  to  secure  college,  99-100;  becomes  a  city, 
146-7 ;  bank  robbery,  148-9 ;  gifts  of  to  the  college,  279 ;  bene- 
fits of  college  to,  333-5- 

Northfield  Congregational  church,  formed,  71 ;  early  strug- 
gles of,  80-1 ;  first  sanctuary  built,  82-4 ;  revival  in,  85-6 ;  J.  S. 
Rounce  chosen  pastor,  73 ;  E.  S.  Williams,  87 ;  J.  A.  Towle, 
152;  D.  L.  Leonard,  152;  E.  M.  Williams,  218;  J.  E.  McCon- 
nell,  247 ;  new  sanctuary  built,  218. 

Northrup,  Cyrus,  becomes  president  of  State  University, 
214 ;  address  of  at  inauguration  of  Pres.  Sallmon,  306-7. 

Nourse,  Dea.  A.  N.,  and  Mrs.,  Life-sketch  of,  82,  note; 
gifts  of  to  Carleton,  353. 

Noyes,  Daniel  R.,  Long  service  of  as  trustee,  321. 

Noyes,  J.  L.,  Long  service  of  as  trustee,  321. 

Oberlin,  visited  in  search  of  a  president,   154. 

Observatory,  The  "Old,"  First  steps  towards,  201 ;  pur- 
chase of  instruments  for,  202-3;  time  signals  from,  203.  (For 
the  "New,"  see  Goodsell  Observatory.) 

Ode,  Inaugural,  by  Prof.  Huntington,  closing  portion  of, 
3I4-I5- 

"Old  Brown  Church,"  erected,  82-3;  enlarged,  87;  burned, 
217. 

Outbreak  and  Massacre,   Sioux,  75. 

Packard,  Rev.  A.  K.,  introduces  Pres.  Strong  to  Mr.  Carle- 
ton,  178;  designs  college  seal,  313-4,  and  note. 

Page,  Harlan  W.,  chosen  trustee,  321 ;  financial  secretary, 
and  to  serve  on  executive  committee,  325. 

"Pancake  Hall,"  Gift  of  for  self-boarding,  by  Hiram  Scriver, 
134- 

Payne,  Wm.  W.,  chosen  to  chair  of  mathematics  and  astron- 
omy, 205;  plans  for  "Old"  observatory,  201-3;  for  "New," 
233-5- 

Pearson,  Rev.  Arthur  H.,  chosen  to  chair  of  chemistry  and 
physics,  238;  resigns,  288;  varied  service  of,  331-2. 


INDEX  419 

Pearsons,  Dr.  D.  K.,  Gift  of  to  Carleton,  282,  350. 

Phillips,  Geo.  M.,  Long  service  of  as  trustee,  and  on  execu- 
tive committee,  324. 

Piano,   Carleton's   first,   how   secured,    181. 

Physical  training,  Provision  made  for,  255-6. 

Popular  Astronomy,  First  publication  of,   237. 

Quarter-Centennial  Address,  by  Pres.  Strong,  386-414. 

Ramsay,  Alex.,  Minnesota's  first  governor,  33;  signs  act 
locating  state  university,  52. 

Revival,  Great,  in  Northfield  through  Mr.  Goodsell's  agency, 
85-6. 

Rice,  Dwight  C,  founder  of  the  musical  department,  206; 
resigns,  239. 

Richardson.  Miss  Louisa  H.,  chosen  to  chair  of  Latin,  238- 
9;  resigns,  288. 

Rochester,  State  conference  at,  takes  decisive  steps  towards 
founding  a  college,  92-3. 

Rounce,  Rev.  J.  S.,  chosen  pastor  of  Northfield  church,  73; 
resigns,  83. 

St.  Anthony,  First  Congregational  church  in  Minnesota 
formed  in,  46. 

St.  Croix  Valley  ceded  by  Indians,  33. 

St.  Olaf  School,  The  founding  of,  147;  growth  of,  216, 
245-6. 

St.  Paul,  becomes  state  capital,  33;  first  Congregational 
church  formed  in,  48;  rapid  growth  of,  212,  244. 

Sallmon,  Rev.  Wm.  H.,  chosen  president,  294;  inaugura- 
tion of,  301-5;  inaugural  address  of,  307-14. 

Scoville,  J.  W.,  Gift  of  library  building,  350;  life-sketch  of, 
350,  note. 

Scriver,  Hiram,  Northfield's  first  merchant,  65 ;  life-sketch 
of  95-6;  note;  paper  on  early  Carleton  history,  96-7,  99-100, 
116-7,  136;  chosen  trustee,  106-7;  Northfield's  first  mayor, 
146;  death  of,  262. 

Science  Hall,  Gift  of  Dr.  Edward  H.  Williams,  built,  220. 

Seccombe,  Rev.  Charles,  Advent  of  to  Minnesota,  45 ;  life- 
sketch  of,  45-6,  note;  makes  financial  canvass  for  college, 
in;  chosen  senior  professor,  125;  connection  with  college 
ceases,  138;  death  of,  297. 

Shedd,  Rev.  Charles,  Life-sketch  of,  51-2,  and  note;  death 
of,  241. 

Shedd,  Mrs.  Eliza,  Life-sketch  of,  242,  note. 

Sheldon,  Rev.  C.  B.,  Letters  of  concerning  Excelsior  school, 
54,  62-3. 

Sidereal  Messenger,  First  appearance  of,  235. 

Sioux  "Outbreak"  and  Massacre,  75. 

Skinner,  Miron  W.,  chosen  trustee,  107;  long  service  as 


420  INDEX 

such,  and  on  the  executive  committee,  320,  324;  gives  cottage 
to   college,   255. 

Skinner,  Mrs.  Emily  (nee  Wiley),  A  paper  of,  on  first  days 
of  the  college,  121-2. 

Smith,  Dr.  Asa  D.,  Testimonial  of,  to  Prof.  Goodhue,  118. 

Snelling,  Fort,  established,  29. 

Sperry,  Dr.  Lyman  B.,  chosen  to  chair  of  physical  science, 
205,  239;  resigns,  330;  long  and  varied  service  of,  330. 

Stickney,  J.  H.,  Gifts  of  to  Carleton,  249,  349-50. 

Stone,  Rev.  Collins,  Death  of  in  Hartford  railroad  accident, 
183. 

Stratton,  Frederick  E.,  chosen  to  chair  of  history,  etc.,  259. 

Strong,  Rev.  James  W.,  Life-sketch  of,  166-73 ',  steps  lead- 
ing to  election  as  president,  155-8;  scene  ensuing  "inaugura- 
tion," 160-4:  starts  East  for  money,  177;  meeting  with  Mr. 
Carleton,  178-81;  Hartford  accident,  182-6;  removes  to  North- 
field,  192 ;  leads  financial  campaigns,  219-27 ;  resignation  pre- 
sented and  not  accepted,  260;  another  campaign,  281-4;  sum- 
mary of  financial  results  secured  by  him,  285-6 ;  another  resig- 
nation, which  is  accepted,  291  ;  with  action  taken  by  the  trus- 
tees, 294-7;  Historical  Address  of,  386-414. 

Telescope,  Equatorial,  Gift  of  by  Dr.  Edward  H.  Williams, 
222,  234. 

Todd,  Dr.  John,  as  to  founding  a  college  in  Minnesota,  57-8. 

Towle,  Rev.  James  A.,  chosen  pastor  of  Northfield  church, 
152. 

Trustees.  The,  Arduous  task  imposed  on,  318-25 ;  names  of 
all  who  have  served,  325-6. 

Twichell,  Rev.  J.  H.,  Account  of  Hartford  railroad  accident 
by,  184-6. 

p     University  of  Minnesota,  a  charter  granted,  52;  Pres.  Fol- 
well  takes  charge,  109 ;  and  Pres.  Northrup,  214. 

Watson,  Miss  Isabella,  chosen  to  chair  of  French  and  Ger- 
man, 239. 

Wheaton,  Charles  A.,  a  warm  friend  of  Carleton,  2,86,  and 
note. 

Wilkinson,  Mrs.  Martha  W.,  Life-sketch  of,  339,  note ;  gifts 
of  to  Carleton,  341. 

Willey,  Rev.  Austin,  Account  of  Northfield  revival  by,  85. 

Williams,  Dr.  Edward  H.,  provides  cost  of  Science  Hall, 
220 ;  life-sketch  of,  220,  note ;  meets  cost  of  the  equatorial 
telescope,  222,  234. 

Williams,  Rev.  Edward  M.,  chosen  trustee,  107;  chosen 
pastor  of  Northfield  church,  218;  summary  of  gifts  to  Carle- 
ton,  351-2. 

Williams,  Rev.  Edwin,  chosen  pastor  of  Northfield  church, 
87;  resigns,  152. 


INDEX  421 

Willis,  Miss  Susan,  Life-sketch  of,  179-80,  note. 

Willis  Hall,  voted,  103-4;  corner-stone  laid,  130;  completion 
of,  170;  burned,  211;  rebuilt,  229-30. 

Wilson,  Herbert  C,  chosen  associate  professor  of  mathe- 
matics and  astronomy,  239. 

Zumbrota,  The  founding  of,  with  a  college  in  view,  51,  92. 


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